When You Close Your Eyes
by WhisperWeeper
Summary: Roderich gets lost from his pod, because of course he does, and he decides to take a rest. Having worn himself out, he sets about singing to calm himself down, hoping his pod hears him. Vash is swimming nearby with his sister and hears the beautiful lament. Deciding against his better judgment, he investigates the mysterious song. Aus/Swiss, Mermaid AU, Part 1 of "Sing Me Away"
1. What Do You Do

**Just a little side story I've had nagging at me for awhile now, and since I'm currently stuck in May I hell I figured I'd get it off of my chest. It also gives me a chance to explore a different sort of narrative than I use in May I, so I hope you all enjoy!**

 **Title and chapter names taken from "When You Close Your Eyes" by Night Ranger, great song!**

 **An index of all the character descriptions exist here:**

 **archiveofourown**

 **.**

 **org**

 **/works/13210260/chapters/30218163**

 **(this website hates links)**

 **...xXx...**

The pod swam faster with the current, hoping to get to their destination by midday at the latest. They'd left their cavern as soon as the beams of sunlight hit the sands and coral that morning, much to the chagrin of most of them. The ocean life around them was a blur as they passed by colorful reefs and swirling meadows of seaweed, heading towards deeper pastures. Feelings of a shared annoyance were bouncing around in the pod's collective mind.

Roderich smoothed out his pelvic fins slowly and thoroughly as he brought up the back of the pod. It was unusual for them to leave the comforts of their home so early in the morning. Scratch that—it was unusual for _him._ He was always the last of his family to awaken and, thus, charged with keeping an eye on their rocky dwelling while the others left to hunt or patrol. So being forced out of his kelp nest this early in the day was certainly enough to ruffle his scales. He huffed and continued his daily routine of making himself look presentable as he struggled to keep up with his pod mates.

A silver and black striped tail flicked in front of him, catching his attention quickly. He swatted the irritating fin away and fixed the perpetrator with a firm look.

"Gilbert, stop."

"Oh, come on. Keep up, slowpoke." Red eyes and sharp teeth grinned at him brightly, too bright for such early hours.

The indigo merman worked on binding his sash and pouches securely around his waist, doing his best to hide just how tired he really was. Gilbert drifted easily beside him, making sure the purple male's bone dagger was tucked safely against his hip. Roderich shooed him away once more. "I am keeping up."

"You're falling behind," Ludwig called back to them, quite a distance ahead.

He'd stopped the pod to wait for the two to catch up, clearly frustrated with their pace. They were one of the larger family groups in the area and being the one in charge of guiding everyone all at once was already taking its toll on his patience, not that the silver and blue striped male couldn't handle it. There was a reason he was the one in charge this morning.

Roderich took a moment to breathe as the pair finally caught up to the others. The rest of the pod was lazily drifting around in circles or quickly eating a slight breakfast. Some of the smaller ones dozed on the backs of a couple of the others, and the violet male was infinitely jealous. Elizabeta would normally help tow him along during long distance trips such as these, but she was currently one of the ones being leeched upon by one of the younglings.

He eyed the silver male beside him once more, wondering if he could somehow bribe him to carry him the rest of the way. His pride caught up with him, though, and he dismissed the thought, straightening up in front of his two brothers.

"I don't understand why we had to leave so early. It's a bit suspicious if you ask me," he voiced, combing his hair back as it floated in front of his face.

Ludwig sighed and placed his hand on his shoulder, pushing him forward as they began to swim again. The others followed automatically in sleepy obedience.

"As I've stated already, father gave me specific instructions last night to bring us to meet him at the edge of the southern shipping graveyard today."

"I just don't understand why we _all_ had to come," Roderich huffed. He was definitely starting to feel an ache settle throughout his tail.

"He said _everyone._ " Ludwig swam forward to the front and that was final.

Even Gilbert and Elizabeta glided past him to catch up with the larger male, a few of the others following suit. Roderich prickled at the lack of empathy his family had for him. Didn't they know how hard it was for him to keep up with their brutal pace? He wasn't nearly as beastly in build as some of his brothers, and couldn't understand how they could just _swim so damn fast._ He was longer and lithe, built for quick bursts of speed and elegance—not for trekking across half the damn ocean!

As he gradually fell to the back of the pod once more, as expected, Roderich just focused on his breathing and keeping his tail at a steady rhythm. The last thing he wanted was to get lost in some other pod's territory. He'd probably be killed or held for ransom, or be chased away at even more egregious speeds. That ghastly thought helped him keep pace for a little while longer.

However, as the rocky reef terrain began to change to wide open meadows of seagrass and algae he quickly began to fall behind again. Ludwig paused the group at the edge of the grassland and was gesturing towards his brother, deciding to split them up to effectively hide their larger group from being spotted by predators. The brothers' voices were faint as Roderich struggled to catch up to the group while they were still stationary; hoping they'd stay put long enough for him to take a breather.

"I don't want to be here any longer than we have to be. This area is controlled by a wacko."

"Well, we wouldn't have to worry about running into him if we just went around."

"The meadow is too large. This way is faster."

Gilbert didn't hesitate to lead half of them deep into the grass a little ways away while the blue-silver male continued to lead the rest of them forward.

The purple merman hoped a couple of the others could sense his distress as he reached the edge of the grass just in time to see the last few tailfins disappear out of sight. He looked between where the two groups had entered the green field, panicking as he tried to decide who to follow. Oh, _why_ wouldn't they just wait for him?

Chest heaving, limbs throbbing, he dived into the grass after Ludwig's group. If anyone was going to notice his suffering through their instinctual connection, certainly it would be _him._ Or Elizabeta. Whoever came first to help him. Surely they _must_ notice just how far behind he was falling. Just in case, he gave a small cry to alert those ahead of him to _please, for the love of all that was sandy and soft, slow down!_

No reply. He felt no response in the back of his mind, either, and that was more than a little disconcerting. Maybe they just couldn't feel him. _No, no, that's not right._ Ludwig was always on top of these things; his sense of the threads connecting all of them was impeccable, and he never made mistakes or lost one of them. Even Gilbert always made sure to look after them, though Roderich was grudging to admit that.

And the little one Elizabeta was carrying around, young Killian, seemed to have a strange connection to him. That kid always knew where he was. He would constantly catch him in one of the deeper caves practicing his music, no matter how deep he went. Oh, why couldn't the boy wake up and tell the others that they were leaving him behind?

Perhaps they were ignoring him, then. That thought nearly made him choke on the anger that followed it. He knew he was slower than the others, and maybe they were annoyed at him for it, but that was really no reason for them to leave him behind!

The merman gave a quick burst forward with the last of his strength, desperately pushing the grass and kelp out of his face.

Roderich thought he caught a glimpse of something silver glint through the green and immediately headed for it. _Ludwig!_ This was the direction they were headed in anyway, right? It was hard to tell among the thick strands of algae.

The violet merman burst into a small sandy clearing and smacked into a large chunk of granite. He was just able to bring his arms up to protect his face as he collided with the stone, skin and scales scraping on the sharp surface. Roderich floated there a moment, dazed. He rubbed his forearms with a wince, looking to see a couple of scratches along the pale flesh there. Small clouds of red began to seep out as his blood tainted the water.

Oh. Oh, _that_ wasn't good.

Roderich looked past the large rock, treading around the small clearing wildly for any sign of his brother; to prove to himself that he _hadn't_ just mistaken a boulder for Ludwig and ran into it. That would just be _absurd._ He even dared to swim upward a ways to stare out over the endless viridian pasture, straining his eyes for any sign of his pod whisking through the grass surrounding him. They couldn't have gotten too far—he hadn't been _that_ slow.

Nothing.

He even tried to feel them through their bond. And while he could sense that his pod mates were alive and well and definitely not near him, he couldn't quite pinpoint what direction they'd disappeared in. Touching upon the threads, he attempted to once more send his obvious anxiety through—and he thought he caught a small ripple of recognition in response before more silence.

Easing himself gently upon the top of the rough stone in the center of the clearing, Roderich spent a few moments gazing around at the large meadow surrounding him as he allowed his aching body to rest. His chest was still heaving, the gills along his ribs rippling as he caught his breath back. His tail ached immensely and dull pains were shooting up his spine and along his fins. Oh, how he wished he was back home in his soft bed!

The never-ending green grass around the merman ebbed and flowed in a hypnotic, calming manner—contrasting with the worriment swirling around inside him. The grassland was much closer to the surface than the rocky caverns his pod lived in, the morning sunlight dappling through the waves onto the sea grass. A large kelp forest sat to his right a ways away, the long tendrils reaching all the way up to float upon the surface.

Settling onto a patch of spongy moss on top of the rock, Roderich turned his attention to stopping the bleeding from his arms. He very, _very_ reluctantly tore off a few pieces of his sash, already mourning the loss from the beautiful wine colored material. At least he couldn't see the blood seep into the dark cloth as he tied the pieces tightly around his arms. The smell was already atrociously thick around him, and he prayed that no predators caught the scent. None of the small vials of ingredients he had on him would help, either, unless he felt like seasoning himself for any nearby sharks. He momentarily thumbed over the bone dagger on his hip, loosening the tie just a bit.

Once he was done bandaging he began to pull strands of grass and kelp off of him. Several long pieces had gotten caught on his pelvic fins, yanking on the appendages terribly during his exertion. He had to curl his tail up around him on the rock in order to reach the kelp tangled on his dorsal and tail fins.

Roderich sat there awhile, petting his scales to smooth them out and to alleviate some of his heartache.

A twinge of something creeped into the back of his mind, like a flash in his peripherals, and he whipped his head to the side. _Was it . . ?_ He gave a few soft clicks and calls, hoping for a response. Nothing. _Again._ He huffed and called out once more, this time holding the note out longer, pitching it lower than he normally would in a plea for help.

Some sea turtles basking lazily among nearby warm sunrays tilted towards him in interest.

After quieting for a few moments to check that his surroundings were, indeed, still predator free, Roderich settled into a song. Both to calm himself and to _hopefully_ summon his pod back to his side. They really couldn't have gotten too far, could they? He picked up his tone to distract from the trickle of something budding at the base of his neck; not recognizing the phantom emotion and not caring.

His singing was unmistakable.

There's no way that his family wouldn't hear him.

 **...xXx...**

 _ **Roderich - Austria**_  
 _ **Gilbert - Prussia**_  
 _ **Ludwig - Germany**_  
 _ **Elizabeta - Hungary**_  
 _ **Killian - Kugelmugel**_

 **Also, since I will be using human names in this story it's a good thing to mention that not all of the 'countries' featured here have official names yet. I will take the time to clear up who's who at the end of each chapter.**

 **Killian is Kugelmugel, and it means "little warrior."**

 **A small bit of The Little Mermaid rules apply, whereas many of the merfolk will have stuff they've scavenged from humans (like instruments and cloth), or made themselves (like bone spears and daggers). Along with some old myths, like how mermaids could make potions, have seductive siren-esque singing, and how some can practice magic.**

 **And soulmates are totally a thing, and they can usually tell by singing to one another—since I'm such a sap for that sort of thing! Anyhoo, I hope you guys enjoy this little experiment of mine.**


	2. When It's Falling Apart

**A bit of that soulmate singing will come into play here.**

… **xXx…**

Vash made sure the worn cotton was lassoed tight around him and his sister, tying thick knots off to the side. Her sleeping form was still clinging to him, arms tucked between them as her tiny webbed hands grasped at his pelvic fins. Sunlight was just peeking in through the entrance to their den, illuminating the mossy bed and sandy walls.

He'd been disturbed late last night by the neighboring pod's patriarch, Diedrich. The hulking male told him that all the nearby pods were being summoned to the Great Alcazar—a sunken fortress ran by one of the largest families. Usually he stayed out of the way of the others, doing his best to just defend his own peaceful area and ignore everyone else; but the way the merman had spoke left little room for argument. Vash was in charge of his own pod—even if it was just him and his sister—and had lived peacefully beside the Sapphire Cavern's territory for many seasons now with no problems. He respected the older male and knew he wouldn't seek him out unless it was something important.

So he prepared for them to leave, carefully attaching a large pouch of spare food to his side. It was just some clumps of sweet sea moss, grass, and some oysters, but it would have to do. The green spotted merman had no idea what sort of food would be available along the way to the alcazar, or if he would even have time to hunt. He'd been there a few times in his youth and only remembered the long distance and rough waters.

His sister burbled in her sleep and nuzzled her face into the warmth of his belly. Vash refused to wake her, wanting the small mermaid to get as much sleep as possible. It was bound to be a taxing day for the both of them, especially her since she had never left their territory before.

Petting her soft hair, he allowed himself a minute smile.

Yes. He would work hard today to keep them safe and to reach their destination in a timely manner! Grabbing his spear and slipping it through one of the cloth ties on his back, he left with the hope of arriving before nightfall.

Poking his head out of the den entrance, he cautiously parted the wall of kelp and peered around. A curious crab scurried by his nose and a lone cuttlefish drifted by to his right. The coast was clear.

Vash gently nudged the kelp out of his way as he headed south. He stayed low to the ground, keeping him and his sister mostly obscured in the thick grass that made up his home.

The water glowed soft orange around them from the morning sun, streams of bright yellow light just beginning to filter through. The emerald merman kept his eyes peeled for danger, scavenging any extra oysters and shrimp he found along his way. He snacked on a few and added the rest to his pouch.

He froze a moment when he heard soft clicks and yawps coming from in front of him, and he ducked into a thick clump of kelp quickly. Vash held onto his snoozing sister with one arm and reached for his spear with the other. Perhaps it was the cavern pod crossing through his territory. While that thought ticked him off just a bit, it made sense. He doubted the other pod would want to go all the way around the shallows just to get to the alcazar.

Still, he'd prefer not to run into them. While he knew Diedrich, vaguely, the others were still complete strangers to him. Not to mention the Sapphire Cavern pod outnumbered him greatly, eleven to two—tied in numbers only with those from the Great Alcazar and the Bottomless Valley. If they tried anything it would surely spell the death for him and his precious sister, regardless of how hard he fought.

That thought kept him hidden until the clicking pod passed him by.

Vash relaxed after several moments of quiet and began to swim again. He knew they were all heading the same way, and while safety in numbers was tempting the merman would continue to just follow at a distance.

It wasn't long before he hid into another kelp cluster again, this time upon hearing a cry of distress from further ahead. A strong scent of blood hit is nostrils and he prickled, not hesitating to grab his spear this time.

 _Did one of the others get attacked?_

Surely there were some sharks in the area, but they usually weren't so eager to attack large groups of his kind. Most of them were peaceful scavengers and even avoided him the majority of the time.

A sense of duty filled him and he swiftly dashed out into the open, spear at the ready. If he could help then he would, it was his territory after all. He wasn't about to allow anyone to be harmed without his say so.

His sister grunted in her sleep, her fingers curling around his pelvic fins a bit tighter unconsciously. The merman slowed his speed a small bit so as not to jostle her so much. As he followed the scent of blood and cries of help he began to look around for a nest of moss and grass to hide her in. If he was to be fighting he wanted her to be safely out of the way.

Just as he found a particularly dense bush to stash her in, he heard a soft singing float through the water towards him.

Gentle somber, melodic tones echoed all around him and froze him to the spot. There was such pain, such anguish, such splendor in the simple notes; and he'd never heard anything so beautiful in his entire life. The voice sounded so . . . _so_ _ethereal_ as it flowed through the waves, and he could have sworn he felt it flow through him, too.

The cadence completely resonated in his bones and seized his lungs. His vision went white, blood racing, and he could have sworn his scales pulsed with heat.

Oh, _what_ was that _singing?_

His body was not his own as he slowly began to paddle again.

Despite the voice in the back of his mind warning him, Vash couldn't help but glide forward the last few meters before emerging into a small clearing.

A fascinating sight greeted him.

A fellow merman sat on top of a large granite rock in the center of the clearing, his tail curled under him and around the glittering stone. His tail was very long and slender, easily longer than Vash's own, and shaped something akin to an eels; with a dorsal fin all down his spine connecting with his tailfin and wrapped around to his underbelly. The appendage was a deep amethyst in color with a silver underbelly, and a slight iridescent sheen over the scales that also shimmered across the pale skin of his torso. His two pelvic fins and tailfin were elongated and faintly wavy, curling through the water delicately. The tips and the gills along his ribs looked dipped in silver.

Certainly, the male was _attractive_ , but that didn't explain the inexplicable pull he felt towards him. Or why it felt like every nerve in his body was buzzing like a school of herring beneath his skin just by _looking_ at him.

Short, dark brown hair waved atop the other male's head and over his ears. Eyes matching the color of his scales gazed out across the placid grassland. The merman's face was smooth with a sharp nose and jaw, a small blemish beneath his thin lips. A darker mauve cloth was tied around his waist, several pouches attached to it. He also spied a carved bone dagger resting behind one of his pelvic fins.

Vash's senses came crashing back to him once the violet male ceased his singing.

His body sagged a bit with relief as he was released from the mysterious hold that song had on him, but for just an instant—a microscopic second he almost refused to acknowledge—his insides felt hollow. Empty. A feeling of needing to hear that voice again flashed through him, and he fought to suppress it.

Blinking the white out of the corners of his vision, it took Vash a long moment to realize why the singing had stopped.

He'd been spotted. _Of course he had._

Vash was close enough to the rock to touch its rough surface—close enough to touch _him_ —blatantly staring up at the other merman. It was a surprise the male only just noticed him, and indeed the other looked quite surprised.

His sister nestling into his belly some more and babbling something in her sleep seemed to draw both males' attentions.

Vash immediately spun around, darting to the edge of the clearing and into the grass. What was he _doing?!_ How could he bring his sister that close to possible danger? He held her small form firmly against him and only poked his head back through the grass, effectively keeping the rest of him and the youngling concealed.

He raised his spear up almost as an afterthought. Strange males tended not to be too kind to young pups, especially ones from rival pods—and this merman was _definitely_ not a part of his pod, if he had one at all. Lone bachelors were even more dangerous. The indigo male had his gaze fixed intently upon the two siblings, but made no move for his dagger.

The two just stared at each other for several long minutes, unsure who should move or speak first.

Eventually Vash picked up the scent of blood again, a bit stronger than before. He glanced around, pinpointing the smell on the other merman, but was unable to see any blood around him. He looked to his arms, which looked hastily bandaged, and made the connection. What was the other still doing in the same place when he'd been injured? They should leave the area immediately before the wounds drew any attention.

Hmm. _They?_

His mind seemed to be made up before he even had a chance to debate over it. Gesturing with his spear, Vash dared to drift back into the clearing and finally spoke up. "Are you injured?" He knew he was, but he asked nonetheless.

The other almost seemed shocked that he'd spoken. He held up his arms slowly, gingerly rubbing one of the bandaged areas. "It seems that I am."

Oh. _No._ There was _no_ reason for his voice to be just as serene and charming as his singing. He fought back the flutter in his throat.

Vash clucked his tongue and lowered his spear, noticing the other relax when he did so. He swam closer.

"Shark?"

"Rock."

His answer, added to the way the violet male pointed down at the boulder he was resting upon, managed to make the green merman snort in amusement. _How intimidating_.

Relieved that the merman still didn't reach for his dagger, Vash dared to float up to eye level. He turned his body to the side, keeping his sister away as much as possible. With just a few feet between them now, he held his spear in front of the young mermaid as a guard. Just in case.

Vash glanced around once more, trying to see any signs of a pod hiding in the grass around them—ready to ambush.

"Where is your pod?" he asked, eying the other suspiciously.

The purple male stiffened, several low growls and snaps erupting from his throat.

The noises ceased almost immediately as Vash bared his teeth in warning, raising his weapon up again. At first the green merman back away, thinking he'd somehow provoked the rogue male. He wouldn't tolerate any sudden violence from this injured stranger—not in his territory and not this close to his sister. But he was quick to notice that the merman's anger was not directed at him.

The iridescent male rolled his shoulders and looked down at the space between them, pouting much like a young pup would.

"They _left_ me here."

Oh.

Vash carefully sheathed his spear, finally deciding that the other male meant him no harm. If anything, the violet merman looked more upset with himself and his pod—with good reason. A close family pod rarely ever broke up unless there was some sort of power struggle. Maybe something like that had happened.

Glittering webbed hands petted down mauve and silver flowing fins, giving away just how agitated the other male really was.

Green eyes glanced to the bandaged arms again. Could he really have hurt himself on a rock, or had he been injured by infighting?

The other seemed to sense his distrust, speaking up once more with quick and concise chirps. "Don't worry; I'm not going to attack you. I'm not interested and I don't have the energy to, anyway." Vash didn't miss how the merman's gaze was trained intently on him now, trying to slyly get a peek at the youngling strapped to his belly.

"Why would your family leave you behind?" The green merman tried to distract him with the question, hoping he wouldn't notice him turning his body ever so slightly away to keep his sister hidden.

Sharp eyes became even sharper, mouth grimacing. "They wouldn't wait for me. I fell behind, and no matter how much I called out none of those brutes slowed down. It's cruel, if you ask me." Vash could have sworn the grown male was whining. _Bloody whining._ He snorted again, barely stopping himself from rolling his eyes At least his explanation cleared up all of those cries of distress he'd heard earlier. The violet merman huffed as he continued in a saddened tone. "I was singing with the hopes that someone would hear me and return, but I suppose not."

Vash couldn't help the shiver that ran up his spine at the mention of the other's singing. _Seriously_ , what was up with that? "Are you from the caverns, then?" He adjusted his arms to wrap around his sister's shoulders, changing the subject.

The violet male nodded. He stopped craning his neck once he picked up on how the emerald merman's body language was practically screaming, _There's nothing to see here! Definitely not a young pup hidden behind my belly, no, no, no—so please look anywhere else!_ He relaxed back into a reclining position, lying across the top of the rock on his side to try and appear nonthreatening. Perching his head in his hand, amethyst eyes met his curiously.

"Do you know how to reach the shipping graveyard?"

Vash blinked at him, confused by the sudden question. "Which one?"

"The southern one. It's where my pod said they were headed."

 _So they were on their way to the alcazar._

"Just keep heading that way until you reach the drop off." The emerald merman tilted his head and waved his hand to the side. "You should see the first few ships a little ways past that."

The other followed his gaze, face scrunching in concentration. He seemed to be debating something.

Vash himself was toying with an idea of his own. He was already headed in that direction, so . . . what would it hurt for the other to tag along with him?

That thought was a dangerous one. He didn't know this male, and couldn't tell if he was lying to him or not. Not to mention he was bleeding and Vash was getting more and more anxious to get his sister as far away from the scent of blood as possible.

On the other hand . . . the purple merman _was_ injured. Left behind by his pod in a strange territory, and he didn't seem to have a sense of direction at all. Why else would he not think just to head _south_ to get to the _southern_ shipping graveyard?

So how could he just leave him?

Vash was just about to voice his decision when small hands rubbed against him. He looked down to see his little sister yawn and blink against the bright sunlight filtering through the water around them. Sparing a quick glance to his fellow male, the merman turned his back on him and swam towards the edge of the clearing. He untied the knots on the cotton cloth to allow the young mermaid to wiggle out of them. She gave a cooed _good morning_ and nuzzled up under his chin, still sleepy. He brushed her soft yellow hair out of her face and reached for the bag of food on his hip.

"Hungry?"

"Hmm . . ." Her little body went stiff as she spotted the other male over his shoulder. She swiftly ducked down to hide behind his chest, staring up at him in panic. "Brother!"

"I know." He sighed, glancing over his shoulder back at the violet merman—who was fully laying on his stomach atop the rock now, head in his hands, tail curling through the water around him gracefully. Amethyst eyes were intent on catching a glimpse of the youngling.

Vash turned his attention back to soothing his sister. He patted her cheek and placed an oyster in one of her hands. Placing the bag of food on the sand between them, he pushed her back ever so slightly to float in the safety of the seagrass. He gave her a stern look that said, _Stay here_ , and made his way back over towards the other male.

The indigo merman rose up on his elbows in interest, quirking an eyebrow.

Vash reached out for one of the bandaged arms, noting that the male let him without any hesitation. Easily unwrapping the dark material, he hissed at the deep scratches underneath that blood continued to seep from. Why hadn't the male treated these yet? Perhaps he was hoping his pod would have returned for him by then and helped him.

"Is she your pup?"

Vash glided over to the grass line again, definitely _not_ running away from that smooth voice and face. He just needed to pick some strands to use, searching for the thickest ones. "She's my sister. But yes, she's mine to care for."

"You look just like her."

 _Huh. How observant_. Vash really fought to suppress his chuckle.

He and his sister's tails were nearly identical, resembling that of the calm leopard sharks in the area in shape. Their pale skin and golden hair matched, as well; also with their eyes, though his sister's were a tad lighter in color. Along with her tail which was a pretty seafoam green with white spots and the occasional jade ring. His, on the other hand, was much darker. His scales matched his eyes in the intensity of the emerald shades and much deeper seaweed colored rings dotted down his fin. He still had a few white speckles as well, a dappling which hid them both perfectly among the meadow surface. And while the violet merman's tail was at least half a length longer than his own, he was built for power and endurance.

The biggest difference for him, however, was that his skin and scales were marred by multiple scars and his sister wasn't. _Thankfully._

"That makes sense, though, doesn't it?" He tsked his tongue, piping up once more. "Of course she looks like me."

"Indeed. A lot like you."

"Your point?"

"She's cute."

Wait. _What_. Vash snapped his head back to stare at the male, the question clear in his emerald eyes, but the other was currently paying him no mind. He was cleaning out the wounds on his arms, removing small pebbles and sand from the cuts by sucking and picking them out with the occasional wince.

Vash couldn't help his nervous grunt, getting a strange vibe from the other. He busied himself with plucking a few more pieces of grass and waded his way back over to the rock. A quick look assured him that his sister was still hidden at the edge of the clearing, face peering out and hands darting into the bag of food as she ate her fill for the morning. As he broke up the strands of grass to make them softer he kept a wary eye out over the grasslands around them. Nothing more than a small bale of sea turtles and the masses of several colorful schools of fish swam around them. _Good._

Once the grass was soft enough, Vash leaned down to wrap the strands firmly over the wounds. They had finally started to stop bleeding and he kept pressure on them until there was no more red clouding the water. He tied the wine color strips of cloth back over them to keep the grass in place and moved to do the same on the other arm.

"Thank you." The purple merman gave a blithe hum of relief, eyes fixed upon him yet again.

The green merman ducked his head in an attempt to avoid that deep gaze, hoping his cheeks weren't red. Gratitude was unnecessary. This was about survival, after all.

Peeking up, he saw that those stony eyes were now looking past him, crinkling in amusement. He felt the water displace beside him and he looked over his shoulder to see his sister floating beside him, her tiny hands gripping the bag of food tightly. He bristled; slightly miffed that she didn't stay put like he told her to. But the way she huddled close to him and grabbed one of his pelvic fins made him soften almost immediately.

And he _supposed_ that she'd have to come out of hiding eventually if they were to be swimming with the other male. Even though that bizarre creeping feeling was crawling around the back of his head, Vash went ahead and made his offer. "Would you like to travel with us?"

The other looked confused, and rightfully so. Vash hurried on to explain, "We're headed in the same direction, towards the Grand Alcazar. Diedrich informed me last night that he was also having his pod travel there." Amethyst eyes lit up at the mention of the large male. "So, since we're going there anyway, you're welcome to tag along."

The mauve male was silent for a moment, wide eyed. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea._ Vash began nervously toying with his hair and smoothing down his stomach.

He jumped in surprise when the other merman suddenly trilled in delight, pushing off of the rock. The long violet tail completely encircled them as the male swam around the siblings in eager loops. Even his sister seemed caught up in the excitement, cheeping and tail waving with the merman's infectious enthusiasm.

"Oh my!" He slowed and faced the green spotted merman again, warbling his thanks. "How very kind of you. I must admit, I was dreadfully afraid of being stuck here on this rock all day until my family returned, but it seems that fate is with me."

Vash did roll his eyes then, unable to stop his amused chirp. _Fate._ How silly could this stranger be? But he couldn't bring himself to feel any regret as the other's face lit up with a genuine smile.

… **xXx…**

 _ **Vash - Switzerland  
Lilli - Liechtenstein  
Diedrich - Germania**_

 **Ohhh snap the two boys meet ohoho~**

 **Diedrich is Germania. He doesn't have an official name yet so I picked this one, as it means "ruler of the people" and I thought it was fitting. He's not in too many stories with all his children and I wanted to show him being a doting strong daddy merman!**


	3. And You Knew It Was Gone

**Fleshing out the Sapphire Caverns pod more in this one!**

… **xXx…**

Ludwig slowed down as he felt one of his pod mates brush up against his side. Glancing behind him, he saw Elizabeta hovering over his tail looking concerned. He slowed his pace, allowing the small group a moments reprieve. They weren't yet out of the grasslands, but they were making good time before they had to meet up with the other half of the pod.

"What is it?"

That's when he noticed the small pup in her arms wiggling and fretting, quietly whimpering. He brought the group to an abrupt halt and turned around. He looked down to the youngling, Killian, who currently had his tail wrapped around the mermaid's arm as much as possible, small hands tangled in the her brown hair.

His bright purple eyes looked between the two adults frantically, looking scared of something.

Ludwig tensed and looked around, observing the area for any signs of danger. Maybe the pup was picking up on something he hadn't. There was nothing nearby aside from some clusters of fish and a small ray. Everyone in his half of the pod was here; Elizabeta, Killian, Evicka, and Bazil. The latter twins looked relieved to be taking a break, picking up a few scuttling shrimp to eat.

So what was the youngling upset about?

" _Ba."_

Ludwig petted the young merboy's white hair out of his face, bumping his nose. Of course. He wanted Roderich. The small boy frequently called the merman _Ba_ or _Baba_ instead of brother, and loved to follow the older male around.

But Roderich was currently swimming with his brother's group, notable since he wasn't with them. _Predictable,_ if he did say so. The lazy merman probably mooched a ride off of his brother like he usually would. Ludwig was just grateful it hadn't been him this time.

"He's with the others," the merman said, helping unravel the pup's tail from Elizabeta's arm so she could move him into a more comfortable position. Confound it for being so long and thin like Roderich's.

As soon as he was free Killian darted away from them, swimming back the way they came. Both Ludwig and Elizabeta raced after him, soon catching the youngling before he could get too far. The mermaid held onto him tightly and cooed to try and calm him as he struggled to escape again.

Ludwig smacked his tail against the seafloor in warning, and the merboy stilled. "What are you doing? Don't ever dash away like that," he chided, doing his best to be both gentle and stern with the young one. _Honestly._ Was he _trying_ to give them a heart attack?

Killian just shook his head and pointed back behind them. "Baba is there."

"No, he's not."

"But, Ba . . ."

"He's safe with Gil, you'll get to see him soon enough."

The merboy seemed confused, chewing on a thick strand of his hair. He eventually relaxed into Elizabeta's arms, the mermaid giving a sigh of relief at that. Both of them swam back over to where they'd left the twins, who greeted them with curious stares.

"What was that about?" Evicka asked around a mouthful of shrimp.

Bazil offered him some of their catch and Ludwig shook his head as he reached for the crustaceans. "It was just a misunderstanding." _Pups._

He allowed his group a break to fill up on shrimp and small fish before they set off again. Killian soon after made a fuss about being able to swim by himself and gave a hearty attempt to keep pace with the adults, his little periwinkle and white striped tail wiggling hastily. Ludwig couldn't help puffing out in pride at the youngling's gusto and slowed himself, ducking under the pup's belly so his dorsal fin was within grabbing distance.

The merboy ignored him for awhile more before giving in, reaching out to hug the fin securely to his chest. Once he was sure the little one had a hold of him, Ludwig kicked the group into gear, speeding back up to their previous pace.

The sun was directly above them by the time the edge of the pasture was finally in sight. The twins gave chirps of relief, twirling around each other, and even Elizabeta let a happy warble loose. Ludwig had to admit that he was also relieved to have finally arrived. They were far enough away from home as it was, and he didn't want them to be in unfamiliar waters any longer than they had to be.

They heard several calls from ahead and rose up out of the grass to see the other half of their pod already waiting for them. The meadow dissipated into a sandy runoff that led to deeper, darker waters.

Gilbert grinned as they approached, holding his arms open welcomingly. "Looks like we beat you, brother! It's unlike you to be so slow."

"It wasn't a race, Gil," the silver-blue male huffed, bringing them to a stop.

"Wasn't it?"

He let his light blue eyes rake over the others, mentally mapping their wellbeing. Bazil swiftly grabbed Killian off of him and began to gently play fight, the youngling squealing in delight. Elizabeta and Evicka glided past him to join the other female in their pod Emma, who was currently lounging around in the sand. The pink mermaid flicked her silver mate in the side as she went, Gilbert shining a sappy smile at her. Emma's brothers, Abel and Klaus, were grooming one another as they relaxed beside her—the elder one fussing with Klaus' hair. None of them were out of breath or too exhausted and looked fed already, having obviously been waiting for them for awhile now.

Maybe he'd been too easy on his group, after all.

Ludwig then froze once he spotted what was wrong. Or, it was what he _didn't_ spot. Gilbert seemed to be thinking the same thing, wading around his younger brother to peer back into the meadow. "Oi, is Roderich going to show up any time soon?" The black-striped male gave a nervous laugh, turning to glance at the other. "He didn't get his tail tied in a knot, did he?"

Once red eyes confirmed from blue the answer to that question, reality and panic set in.

Gilbert immediately went back over to the family group to count heads, double checking that the violet male wasn't, in fact, hiding behind one of the others. Ludwig spun around and swam over the line of seagrass, looking out over the massive field to try and spy his flashy brother among all the waves of green. He gave out a series of bellows, hoping to reach the missing male.

His heart sank at the lack of response.

The rest of the pod soon picked up on the two males' alarm, and one by one each of them figured out why.

"Where's Roderich?"

Elizabeta swam up to him, her tail swishing with worry. Bazil and Killian stopped their playing, the young pup clinging to the bigger male as he burbled anxiously. Abel immediately swam over, as well, his tawny colored tail brushing against Ludwig's in a supportive manner.

But he wasn't paying attention. The blue-silver merman was holding his head in his hands, groaning. _How_ could he have let this happen?! It was his job to look after everyone, and he'd . . . he'd lost his brother! It didn't matter that the other male was older, or that he had thought that he had been with Gilbert's group, it was his responsibility.

 _His_.

Roderich was lost in unfamiliar waters—waters controlled by a very eccentric and _unbelievably_ territorial merman. He could have gotten hurt, and probably was thinking that his family had abandoned him. Or he could have been killed—

His breath hitched.

Their father would never trust him with anything ever again, and he deserved whatever punishments befell him.

As if on cue, a low whistle of greeting echoed from behind them and the silver-blue merman tensed up with dread.

Turning slowly, he peeked through his fingers as his father appeared over the drop off; long, pale yellow hair and silver stripes down the side of his jet black tail glinting in the sunlight. Ludwig barely had time to feel surprise at seeing another figure beside him—a merman that had brown hair and a magnificently golden tail with a plethora of decorative fins that simply made his entire presence ache with grandeur.

 _Oh no._

Diedrich sensed his family's crisis, even at a distance. He picked up his speed, wide pelvic fins waving with concern, and outpaced his companion to swim over to his pod. Eyes and hands raking over everyone he passed by, checking for injuries or any other potential causes of the stress. Everyone piped up at once, trying to convey to him the situation and the dark male floated there wide-eyed, trying to take in the sudden onslaught of squeals and shouts from his wailing children.

The pod went silent immediately as he held up a hand.

"Ludwig." Diedrich turned to his son, turquoise eyes scanning the sullen male for information. "What happened?"

 _Here it comes . . ._

Ludwig forced himself to stop cowering, but couldn't help ducking his head under his father's gaze. He went on to explain everything as their golden guest floated nearby, auburn eyes looking out over the green pastures.

"I take full responsibility for this," the blue-silver merman finished, finally looking his father in the eye, voice uncharacteristically quiet. "What are we going to do now?"

The alpha male looked to be concentrating for a moment and then he sighed, not looking as upset as everyone thought he'd be. He gave his son a kind look and nudged his nose. "He's on his way."

Ludwig blinked. Everyone blinked. _What?_

The merman focused inward, on the bundle of threads connecting all of them. He figuratively followed the one attached to his brother, vaguely feeling the merman off in the distance, back the way they came. He was alive! Ludwig visibly relaxed, slumping in the water. He could feel that Roderich was alright, even . . . _pleased?_

Some of the others seemed to follow his lead, all clustering on their mental map.

"How can that be?" Elizabeta spoke up first, setting off a chain reaction among the others.

"His sense of direction is awful, though!" Klaus cried.

"Well, color me green and call me seaweed!" Gilbert cheered, grinning widely.

"That's a relief," Emma huffed, clapping a hand over her heart.

"Baba!"

Killian dashed out of Bazil's arms towards the meadow, disappearing into the thick grass.

 _"Alexius."_ Diedrich hissed and then sped after his youngest. His golden companion waved and smiled as he passed.

"Ay, I'll look after everyone!" the bright male called, lazily circling the rest of the pod.

Ludwig fought the urge to follow his father, desperate to make up for his earlier blunder, but that would mean leaving this larger, outlandish male around his family. His presence alone was commanding, much like Diedrich's, and he wouldn't be surprised if he was the leader of a neighboring pod. What if he tried something? Though, if his father trusted this _'Alexius'_ enough have him stay . . .

He felt Gilbert brush his shoulder, glancing to see his brother giving him a reassuring look. _He would stay._ The black-silver male certainly could hold his own if a fight broke out, and it's not like the others wouldn't back him up. Elizabeta alone could probably fend off a frenzy of sharks if she so pleased, and the others were quite capable as well, even the twins.

Ludwig made up his mind and he took off after his father.

… **xXx…**

 _ **Evicka – Czech Republic, "life"  
Bazil – Slovakia, "kingly"  
Emma - Belgium  
Abel - Netherlands  
Klaus – Luxembourg, "victor of the people"**_

 _ **Alexius – Rome, "defender"**_

 **Here's the rest of the pod, plus a Romeo cameo~**

 **Name meanings included for the ones I picked, in case anyone's interested. The names for Belgium and Netherlands are options Himaruya has thought up but hasn't made official yet.**

 **Most of the pod have shark like tails (aside from Elizabeta) and there's a completely reasonable explanation why Roderich and Killian don't look like the others. No worries, all shall come together!**


	4. From the Very Start

**Bit of a blood warning for this one.**

… **xXx…**

Roderich kept as close to his saviors as they would let him. He couldn't quite help his happy humming as the trio made their way south through the pastures, the pace slow enough for him to keep moving steadily.

Even though the day had started badly, his luck was now _beyond_ plentiful.

His new companions, Vash and Lilli as he had so pried from them, were an absolute delight to be around. They had not only saved him from being stranded, but were even kind enough to help with his injuries and share some of their food with him. And now they were ever so benevolent as to let him travel alongside them towards the shipping graveyard.

Not to mention, his emerald companion was _quite_ the alluring male.

Who seemed _very_ interested in him, as well, perhaps?

The green merman didn't think Roderich would notice just how entranced he'd been earlier during his singing. The violet male sang frequently—nearly every day as it was his favorite pastime—and was no stranger to having others watch him do so. He'd been told often that he had a lovely voice, one that most enjoyed listening to.

And yet, he'd _never_ seen anyone quite as mesmerized as Vash.

Admittedly, he had been completely startled at turning to see another of his kind right in front of him. The stranger had thoroughly snuck up on him, and was certainly close enough to harm him before he could escape, and yet . . . The merman had been utterly _enthralled,_ staring up at him as if he were a marvel.

The purple merman smiled to himself. Indeed, his luck had seemed to turn.

Roderich swam easily above the blonde pair, both of whom were mostly hidden in the grass beneath him. He kept an eye out for danger, ducking into the grass beside the others to sneak by a group of reef sharks at one point. He was even allowed to hold onto the merman's dorsal fin occasionally whenever he got tired, a touching gesture he didn't think he'd be allowed.

Another plus was the ever curious youngling swimming beneath the other male.

He wasn't one for dealing with young pups—despite being the ever constant babysitter for his youngest brother—but Lilli was quite the inquisitive young mermaid, frequently rolling to peek over her brother's shoulder to ask him something. At first, Vash did his best to keep her quiet, to keep them _both_ quiet—for 'survival' reasons, he'd said.

" _Something will always hear you,"_ as he so expertly put it, and he wasn't wrong.

However, silence was _boring_ at the best of times, and unnerving at the worst. Roderich would have none of it and endeavored himself to learn about his new companions.

The fusillade of questioning back and forth quickly became a comforting constant on their journey.

"Why are your scales so, um—" Lilli began, hugging around Vash's neck so she could keep looking over his shoulders while they swam.

"Hmm?" Roderich looked back at himself a moment, wondering if he still had scraps of seaweed trailing off of him. "What is it?"

The small girl whispered in her brother's ear and he though he saw the merman chuckle. The male whispered something back and the mermaid perked up, nodding before turning back to him.

"Why are they so purple?"

 _Oh, how cute._

"Well," he muttered, tapping his lips in thought. "They just are. I suppose I get it from my mother, I've heard I look a lot like her."

"Oh." Lilli's seafoam eyes continued to look over the violet male as he spoke, as if judging his answer's worthiness. "Can scales be other colors, too?"

"We don't have many violet creatures around here," the emerald merman spoke up, directing his statement to the other male. Roderich hummed in assent. _That makes sense. Everything around here is green, green, and more green._ Vash then answered his sister's question. "And yes, Lil', scales can be many colors. Most other merfolk don't look like us."

Her eyes got impossibly wider and she pulled back to stare at her brother in awe. "Really?"

"Yes, you'll see soon enough."

Roderich was then reminded of where they were headed and fell silent for awhile.

 _The Great Alcazar._

He'd been there exactly three times in his lifetime. The first time he had only been a baby, just born. His father still refused to tell him why he had been there, and he'd always assumed it had something to do with his mother. The subject was forever a touchy one so he never pressed. The second time he had been just a youngling, about Lilli's age if he had to guess . . .

The indigo male interrupted his reverie to ask, "How old are you?"

Vash turned his head to the side, mouth opening to answer for her, but the young mermaid cut him off eagerly. "Oh! I'm five and a half cycles!" She sounded so proud, as young ones tended to be over such trivial things.

But he could play along; he was used to doing so with Killian.

"No!" he feigned, pressing his hand to his chest in mock disbelief.

"Yes, yes!" she trilled insistently.

"Surely you _jest,_ madam. You're far too mature for one so young!"

Lilli giggled at him, her cheeks turning a rosy pink.

Roderich smiled at her and was about to delve back into his thoughts when he caught sight of the emerald male beneath him pet the young girl's hair affectionately. She rubbed her cheek against his happily for a moment before squirming out of his arms once more to return to swimming on her own.

The small act made his heart all-a-flutter, peaking his interest. He suddenly desired to hear the male's voice. "And how old are you, darling?"

Vash immediately stopped swimming. The other two looked back at him in surprise as they halted a few yards in front of the spotted merman. Lilli floated up under the violet male instinctually to conceal herself in his shadow, looking between the males apprehensively.

Roderich couldn't peel his eyes away from his emerald savior.

Had he said something wrong? It was a simple question, not one he'd expect anyone to get so flustered about. Certainly not enough to be _that_ red-faced—the sight alone made that feeling in his chest spring up again. But, _why_ was he—?

" _What_ did you call me?"

 _Ohhh._ A thin eyebrow arched upwards, and the violet male dared to be daring. "I called you 'darling,' dear Vash. It's what you are."

And _oh_ , did the male's face just _light up_ at that—as if a fire bloomed into being beneath his skin. A half-caught rebuttal flaked off the blonde's tongue, leaving him gaping there like many of the fish around them.

At first a flash of anger danced in those viridian irises, and Roderich felt unease creep up his spine for the first time since their meeting. The spotted male held out his arm towards his sister, whom of which quickly darted over to him and ducked under his belly, little face peeking back out through the grass.

What a weird feeling it was, Roderich mused, to be treated like something _dangerous._

Vash began swimming again, his face an unreadable hard mask as he passed by the violet male.

Roderich hesitated to follow, wondering if he was even still allowed to. They were all still headed in the same direction and it would be outright _ridiculous_ if they were to suddenly part now. Wouldn't it?

"I apologize if I've offended you," he spoke quickly, rushing to correct himself. He turned to see the emerald male pause, his head tilting slightly to assure the other that he was listening. Roderich took that as his cue and he cautiously made his way after the pair, easily playing off his words along the way. "I meant nothing by it, just that you've been so kind to me that I don't quite know what else to call you—besides your name, of course."

Vash visibly sighed, his shoulders sagging and his tail slowing. Once the violet merman had caught up to them they all resumed their previous pace forward for a few silent moments.

"I'm twenty cycles."

The brunette looked down at the top of the bright blonde head beneath him, the knot of unease within him loosening. He couldn't quite see the other's face, but the tips of his ears were tinted a pretty ruby.

Roderich felt his chest warm. That little sparking sensation in the back of his head from earlier returned in full force now, and he struggled to comprehend it. What _was_ that?

"Oh? So you're a bit younger than I am," he said, trying to distract himself from the other's oh-so-red ears. "By two cycles, I think."

"You think?"

"I'm unsure of when I was born exactly. Even my father's a little hazy on the subject," the indigo merman muttered, eyes catching a bit of movement to their left.

The large grey object darted behind a rock, but not before he could see the telltale stripes along its flank. He brushed his hand against the other male's shoulder in warning.

Vash rumbled low in his throat, turning to look at the merman over his shoulder. He caught sight of where the violet male was looking and peeked his eyes over the top of the seagrass to see the danger himself, but Roderich swiftly pushed him back down before he could get a look and ducked into the pasture beside the siblings. Silver-dipped webbed fingers grabbed hold around a spotted waist and quickly pulled them to the right, dashing through the grass with powerful flicks of his long, mauve tail.

Thankfully, the blonde male allowed him to do this, assisting him with their speed while holding his sister close to him. The young mermaid wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tightly as the three of them hurried through the meadow.

" _Tiger shark,"_ he mouthed quietly as emerald eyes glanced to him.

Roderich wasn't one for prolonged speed, but under the circumstances there was no other option. They were hidden mostly in long grass, but given his contrasting complexion and the fresh injuries along his arms he was sure that the farther away they were from the predator the better. Most other kinds of dangers they could outrun or fend off if need be, but tiger sharks were the _worst_ to face up against. They almost never could be scared off and usually weren't satisfied until their prey was locked in their jaws. Merfolk simply avoided them as best they could.

The purple male stole a look over the grass back to where he'd seen the shark behind them, only to find it gone. The clear waters should have made him rejoice, but the lack of any sort of creatures, shark or not, troubled him more.

"Is it gone?" Vash purled, angling their trajectory back towards the south. The green merman allowed his sister to hold onto him by herself so he could free up his hands, and reached for his spear.

"I do not know," he admitted, eyes scanning over the grass desperately. A feeling creeping up his spine made him whip his head around to the right, making sure they weren't about to be completely blindsided.

Sure enough, there was a dark dorsal fin sticking up out of the grass slowly curving around them.

Alarm bells were ringing fully in his head now. The predator most certainly must smell his wounds. _Terrific._ His eyes kept track of the shark in his peripherals as it moved ever closer while he mapped out his surroundings: kelp forests to his right, cluster of rocks and coral to his left, and nothing but empty green pasture in between. _Doubly terrific._ Of all the things he didn't think he'd be doing today, outrunning a tiger shark was definitely up there with 'being left behind by his family' and 'meeting a promising new _friend_.'

And _oh_ , his tail already ached just thinking about it.

Despite his vexation, Roderich didn't hesitate to free his bone dagger from its ties as he let go of his companion. Vash looked at him then; brows furrowed in confusion as the purple male pushed him forward. "What are you doing?"

"I do not believe he's after _you_ , dear," the brunette advised before dashing straight up towards the surface. He heard the male call after him, but it was too late.

Amethyst eyes glanced back briefly to see if his strategy had worked, only to look on in horror as the shark lunged after him. He pulled his tail back just as jaws snapped at him and sprinted his way over towards the coral formations. _That was too close._ He wasn't sure if the shark would even follow him at first, but _no,_ he just _had_ to be proven wrong, of course. Was luck with him or _not_ today?!

Heart pumping, fins swishing fiercely, Roderich kept just out of reach of the predator. He dove in and around the large outcroppings of coral and rock, causing the shark at one point to smack into a large chunk of coral, breaking it in half. The tiger shark swam away after that, in a daze, and the merman took that moment to catch his breath as he hid in between two large rocks.

Resisting the urge to over think his situation, the violet male did his best to try and stay calm. He smoothed back his hair out of his face as he slouched against the cool stone. While he'd never quite had to face a shark by himself before, he'd worked with his brothers many times before then to chase them away. He wished he'd brought more than his dagger on this trip; thinking back to his elegantly carved sword displayed above his nest bed and how he'd be much more confident facing down the hulking beast of teeth and muscle by himself if he had it.

He played out every warning his father had ever given him regarding evading predators as a comforting mantra in his head. _Stay silent. If that fails, then keep low and fast. Hide in the first bit of cover, if you can. Always have your blade out. You'll never know when you'll have to use it._

He worried the handle of his dagger, raising it up protectively in front of his face.

Roderich felt an instinctual pull in the back of his mind and looked up across the spacious field. In the distance he thought he saw a large black tail with a slightly smaller silver-blue one beside it. He took a double take, eyes straining to see if the sight was true and not just a hopeless mirage his mind was giving him.

And he would have rejoiced, he _would_ have, if it weren't for the gaping jaws circling him.

Well, _silence_ was unnecessary at this point, and so he called out to them with all the energy he could muster from his heaving chest. His cry got cut off in a high pitched shriek as the shark dashed at him again, apparently recovered from hitting the coral.

Roderich bolted, not quite as fast as he had intended, and he felt the chilling brush of teeth against his waist.

Just when he thought he'd been caught, a heavy weight knocked into him, pushing him out of the way of the snapping jaws. Emerald spots flashed across his vision and he barely had time to register the merman clinging to him before the two of them barreled into the tufts of seagrass, rolling with a hard _thud_ as they hit the sand.

The mauve male blinked, gasping in lungfuls as firm verdigris fingers pushed him back into the ocean floor.

The mermen had landed beside a large overhang of table coral, and Vash was quick to pull them beneath it. Roderich struggled to fold all of his tail underneath it; resorting to wrapping the appendage around the base of one of the coral stems and them both, tucking in close under the umbra of the reef. Certainly the tiger shark wouldn't be able to reach them without breaking its nose against the sharp ridges of the overhang.

The violet male glanced at his _once again_ savior, noting that Vash was eagerly brandishing his jagged stone spear.

And that he was sans his sister.

Roderich held the other closer as an ominous shadow passed before them, delighting in the vicious growl he could feel rumble throughout the spotted male's chest. "Where's Lilli?" he gasped, still collecting himself.

"Safe."

And that's when he smelled blood, tasted it on his tongue even. He glanced around in a panic. Was _he_ hurt, or was _Vash?_ He didn't feel any pain other than the burning in his lungs and muscles, but adrenaline was a hell of a thing and he was _positive_ that he had to have some sort of scratches. The shark _had_ nearly bitten him in half, after all.

Looking down at the male in his arms, whose torso he held flush against his chest, he spied several deep gashes cut into his left arm, just above the elbow. Something hot flowed against his abdomen and he stared further down to see even more slashes across the other's hip. The white strands of cloth were torn and ragged, stained a dark crimson. The thick gush of blood clouded around the pair, leaking out of their hiding place and into the clear, sunlit open water.

Roderich just about choked at the sight, never having been one for gore—and this _certainly_ was more blood than his own measly scratches. Something sharp glinted through the wounds and— _oh wow,_ was that a _tooth?_

Vash, to his credit, bared his teeth and held up his spear regardless. Blade pointed outward, he took hard jabs at the passing shadow that loomed in front of the entrance of their cubbyhole. Some of them connected, but none of them drove the danger away.

"Vash—" he rasped, unable to take the eyes off the ripped flesh. "You're bleeding."

"I've noticed." The emerald male gritted his teeth with a wince, leaning evermore into the indigo merman's hold.

"Like, a _lot."_

Vash whimpered softly, nodding his head in understanding. The mauve male felt his heart drop at the grim look in those emerald eyes.

Why _,_ oh _why_ did the other rush in like that? Why would he _do_ that? Roderich just couldn't fathom the reason—the other male had a youngling to care for, after all. And he was only a stranger. He'd specifically swam in the opposite direction from the two to lead the shark away from them, not wanting to put them at risk for his sake. Sure, Vash had been kind to him so far, but this was just _preposterous._

The violet male flustered over the injuries, deft fingers quickly tearing off the now useless strands of cloth and pressing them into the wounds. The green merman gasped, a groan hissing out between his teeth as he leaned into the pressure. The other allowed Roderich to hold him up, supporting him as he guarded them with his spear.

A sudden, calliopean crack of sound rippled through the water—something akin to thunder rocking through the waves and the long violet tail wrapped around them was the only thing that kept them both from slamming into the coral from the force of it.

Both males covered their ears to protect against the high pitched howls that followed, able to see the noise rippling through the water.

After silence fell, Vash turned his head to look at him, face pained and confused. " _What_ was that?"

" _That,"_ Roderich huffed, relaxing with relief, "was my father."

… **xXx…**

 **It's maaagic, ya knooow . . .**

 **This story went from 0 – 100 real quick oops.**

 **Also, no hate towards tiger sharks! They are pure and soft muscle nom nom machines~ Very dangerous, though. 11/10 would not bleed in front of again.**


	5. Do You Close Your Eyes

_When did I become this utterly stupid?_

Pain, searing and raw, dug across his hip and abdomen. Blood stung his nose and eyes, and he coughed to clear his throat of the iron taste. Arms held him upright, smooth skin and scales warm against him, and he couldn't help but lean into the other's hold more than he already was. _Anything_ to ease the caustic burning in his side.

Vash shook his head to clear it of the fuzziness beginning to creep up on him.

A shadow fell in front of the opening to their hiding place and he felt the purple male tense again. Vash thrust his spear forward, startled when a dark hand caught the weapon. A pale face ducked down to peer into the coral hideaway, steely blue eyes scanning them through the red tinted water.

"It's safe now."

 _Finally._

Diedrich's presence was a welcome one and Vash couldn't help but be thankful for the alpha's great timing.

Roderich unraveled the rest of his tail from around them and slid out of the alcove, still holding the spotted male to him tightly. The fresh, non-blood tainted water was a reprieve from the stuffy claustrophobia of coral. There was no sign of the tiger shark anywhere in sight, and large parts of the reef around them were completely shattered. Colorful pieces of coral and clumps of seaweed were strewn around, and even some large boulders around them were split down the middle.

Vash let himself slump in relief, letting Diedrich take his spear from him before it slipped form his fingers.

"Whoa, there, darling. Easy."

He grit his teeth at the quiet tone Roderich was using, shooting him with the harshest glare he could muster. _Stop calling me that._

All that met his harsh gaze was a soft lavender one, and he felt his momentary irritation fade. Their faces were close enough to touch, and the green merman finally took notice that he was entirely in the violet male's arms, being supported completely. He didn't quite approve of having the bigger male touch him, let alone hold onto him, and had only put up with it before when they were hiding.

And yet he couldn't quite bring himself to pull away. _But why, though?_ He hated touching—hated that it irritated his too-sensitive-skin, only allowing his sister to hold onto him. It was just the two of them after all.

Amethyst eyes continued to bore into him, and he caught many emotions flicking across those violet irises. Mostly confusion. He couldn't help the lump in his throat at that, swallowing hard.

 _He's probably wondering why I helped him,_ Vash thought.

His mind raced as that gentle gaze observed him, almost like he was waiting for an answer. He swallowed again, trying not to think of the reason why he rushed in like he did.

Because he knew exactly _why_ , and it made his heart beat a little faster.

He . . . He couldn't help himself.

As soon as the shark had lunged over them, Vash had immediately swam in the opposite direction with his sister tightly in his arms. He'd wanted to get her as far, far away from danger as possible, dashing deep into the kelp forest—it was just a shame he had to leave Roderich behind. The violet male _had_ brought this upon himself from being so careless, but even so . . . The merman didn't deserve to die.

Especially not to a _fucking shark._

Vash had just settled into the kelp, hiding Lilli beneath him, when a loud, resounding _shriek_ seized him. That sound, that call, that terrified _scream_ made his heart nearly leap out of his throat, and his muscles just moved. It was as if some invisible force was pushing him through the water, faster and faster. He barely registered his sister burying herself into the sand as he dashed out of the kelp, and the sight of the violet male about to be caught by those ferocious jaws just about made his mind scream to a halt.

He had no idea just how he'd gotten between them so quickly. All he could remember was the single thought of, _No._

And here they were now; both hurt and exhausted.

Vash looked around at the remnants of the coral around them once more, trying to distract himself from their closeness and his aching pain. Really, he _had_ been injured before, but every time just seemed to be worse and worse. There hadn't been tiger sharks in this area for many cycles, though. He'd made sure of that. So, seeing one right in the middle of his territory was enough to piss him off, even if it had been just passing through.

Diedrich was behind him, scanning the area around them for any more signs of the predator that had attacked them. His long, jet black tail waved next to him, and just being near the larger alpha was intimidating. Then he caught movement to his right and he turned to spot another merman heading their way quickly. Vash didn't recognize him; young, blonde-haired, and about as large as Diedrich, with a lengthy silver tail adorned with light blue stripes and matching eyes. Eyes that had a seriousness that belied his apparent age.

" _Vash."_

He turned his attention back to the merman pressed against him, about to ask what he wanted. He was busy surveying the area—did the other not notice the other merman creeping up on them? Well, that's what he was _going_ to say.

That was until Roderich nuzzled up under his chin. The merman gave a pleased hum, quietly murmuring, "Thank you."

Vash's eyes widened and he froze, feeling a warm nose tickle the skin under his jaw and— _oh!_ _ **No.**_ _Oh, definitely not—_ Were those _lips?!_

A strangled cry of embarrassment escaped his throat and he pushed the too-touchy-feely male away from him and escaped. _I should never have saved him!_ he panicked. The shooting pains through his side made him stop his fleeing too soon, only a few meters away, and he couldn't help but clutch his wounds and double over.

Roderich squeaked in surprise and swam over to him. "Vash, what on earth are you—"

"Lilli!" He perked up, thinking of the first excuse he could while staunchly avoiding the other's stare. Oh dear, he just _knew_ he was redder than his blood, and yet he still hoped the violet male wouldn't notice. "I have to see if she's alright!"

And he was worried, he _was,_ but she'd hidden well. The young pup knew to stay put until he returned. He mostly just wanted to put immediate distance between him and the other male. Why, oh _why_ was this day so utterly strange?!

"Alright, well," Roderich stopped beside him once more, hands removing the mauve wrappings from around his violet-silver waist. "Let's tie off your wounds first, at least."

Vash allowed him that.

The other males circled around them slowly, muttering quietly to one another. The other two seemed unfazed by the addition of the new merman, and he assumed he must be from the same pod. The younger blonde male pressed his shoulder into Roderich's back, catching the male's attention. Vash overheard them whispering together.

"I'm sorry."

Roderich spared him a quick look. "For what?"

The larger merman growled a moment, pressing against him more. "For losing you."

"Oh." The violet male dipped his head to the side and bumped against the blonde's chin, humming again.

 _Oh._ Vash couldn't help the way his chest squeezed at the domestic sight. He tried not to notice just how close the other two were now, the blonde floating beside the brunette now and helping him untie the long scarf around his waist. Vash looked away.

"Are you injured, too?"

"I don't believe so."

Vash rolled his eyes. _Liar._ He felt warm hands press into his wounds again, and he bit back a groan at the jolt of agony that shot up his ribs. He felt Roderich drift closer to him and there were quiet words in his ear. "Hold still a moment, dear. This will hurt."

Vash grimaced. "Oh, really? I hadn't noticed—"

He was loathed to admit he _may_ have cried out a little louder than he would have liked as he felt something sharp being ripped from one of his cuts. White flashed across his vision at the excruciating pain that racked through his body, and he felt himself slump again as his vision blacked out.

… **xXx…**

Vash stiffened as his senses slowly came back to him, and he stuttered in a deep breath. Arms were holding him close again and he could feel they were moving through the water. He felt warm, thick cloth tied tightly around his abdomen and he was grateful it seemed to be holding in his bleeding for the moment. He opened his eyes to see that Roderich was swimming sideways, holding him securely to his chest and arguing with the other two males.

"I can carry him, Roderich," Diedrich was saying from somewhere nearby.

"No."

"I can take him, Vati, don't worry," the other male's voice called, sounding gruff and annoyed. "Just hand him over already."

" _No."_ The green merman could swear he felt the start of a growl rumbling in the male's chest against him.

Vash felt a wave of shame fill him. He didn't want the others to take care of him. He was more than capable of handling himself—this wasn't his first encounter with a shark attack and it certainly wasn't his worst. Okay, it was pretty bad still, but he didn't need to rely on anyone.

He didn't want to be a burden.

Vash patted Roderich's shoulder to release him, and was grateful when he did. The green merman immediately rolled over and started swimming up over a nearby ridge, ignoring the confused stares and calls after him to stop. Right now, he needed to fetch his sister and make sure she was alright. That there hadn't been any other sharks to catch her while he was preoccupied. It didn't matter that every time he waved his tail strikes of agony shot through his chest, or that his vision was staying blurry around the edges. Or that he was certain his heart would burst out of his chest if the violet male held on to him any longer than he'd already had.

 _None of that matters_ , he reasoned with himself. He was _not_ running away—he was simply rushing to see his sister.

Vash crossed the open waters towards a large patch of tall kelp. He gave a low call, stopping at the edge of the waving wall of green, and held out his arm. A high chirp echoed back to him and moments later a small hand darted out to grab his. Relief flooded through him as he pulled his sister out of the kelp and up into his arms.

"Brother, you're hurt!" Lilli cried, hugging around his neck tightly and burying her little face into his shoulder. "I saw it bite you!"

"I'm alright," he soothed, petting her hair down. "It's just a scratch. Nothing more."

"It is _not_ a scratch."

Deep words from behind him made him turn around slowly, and he fixed the speaker with a glare. It was the younger blonde, the one he didn't know. The male held out an arm towards the siblings. "Let me take her, that way you can swim easier."

Vash backed away immediately, his narrowed gaze not easing up one bit. He didn't spare the other two mermen a glance as they swam up in front of him. This was too many males around his sister than he was comfortable with, and there was absolutely _no way_ he was just going to hand her over.

"And just who are you?" He raised his chin, showing the slightest hint of teeth to make his answer clear. Lilli twisted around to stare at the three males.

Cobalt eyes widened slightly in only what he could assume was surprise.

 _Good,_ he may be injured, but he was not weak.

Roderich treaded over to him slowly, arms open in a placating manner. The violet male flashed him a soft smile. "This is my brother, Ludwig. You can trust him to watch over her."

 _Brother._ He didn't know why that made him relax.

But Vash kept up his sneer. "Why would I let him watch her when he lost track of his own brother?"

The silver-blue male recoiled at that and looked away, crossing his arms. Roderich huffed and swam closer, holding his arms open for the youngling. "Then let me take her. Let me carry you both."

Lilli went to reach an arm out to him before stopping herself, glancing back up at her brother.

Vash wanted to bolt. Everything in his wiring from years of isolation was telling him to swim away.

He had no real reason to trust _any_ of them, not even Roderich. He'd known him for less than half a day, Diedrich was the leader of a rival pod, and he didn't know this _Ludwig_ at all.

Roderich leaned down to brush his fingers along the spot on his side that was injured, and Vash took a sharp intake of breath. Amethyst eyes were sincere and soft, the male's lopsided smile calming him down somewhat. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to get some help, and he _was_ the first one to go out of his way to help the violet male before after all . . .

 _A smile is the most convincing mask a predator can wear._

Vash immediately stiffened and ducked forward, curling protectively over the pup in his arms. He wanted to handle this by himself, wanted to just swim immediately back home and never leave again.

His sister burbled in surprise and looked up at him. Her little hands patted his shoulders and she whispered, "Brother, I can swim by myself. You don't have to worry about me."

His eyes widened as he stared at his little sister, her face serious and posture puffed up as much as she could in his arms. Her own light seafoam eyes stared back, holding his gaze in such a way that made his heart flutter with pride.

He couldn't help but give in.

… **xXx…**

 **Oh snap, Vash is secretly very emotional about everything.**

 **Also, the Sapphire Caverns pod all call Deidrich "Vati," a German word for "father." Mostly because I think it's cute, and partly because Deidrich may or may not have spent a large part of his life around the North Sea so he does have some knowledge of human languages.**


	6. And Dream About Me

**Thanks for all the kind comments everyone!**

 **...xXx...**

"Then let me take her. Let me carry you both."

Vash's dark emerald eyes nearly made him choke.

Why, oh _why_ was he doing this? Why in the whole damn ocean wouldn't the merman just listen to him? He wanted to help, wanted to repay his debt to the other by making sure he was safe. And yet here he was, being stared at like he was the scum of the reef. As if _he_ was the damned tiger shark that just attacked them. Not an ounce of trust in those hard, gem-like eyes.

At first he thought, after he'd spoken, that the spotted male might agree to come along with them. His whole stance softened, and even little Lilli reached out to him for a moment. It was a tad endearing to know that the young pup seemed to trust him that much, since they'd only known each other for the better part of the day.

The green speckled male soon hunched over, hiding those eyes. His sudden expression change totally threw him off, a surprised rumble sounding in his throat. It still felt like those fierce emerald eyes were boring into him—and despite the underlying threat those deep, green dappled irises had held, a warmth started to pool in his cheeks and in his lower back.

Roderich couldn't stop his heart from nearly leaping out of his throat.

He dearly hoped his father and brother couldn't sense the stinging excitement buzzing in the back of his mind. Never in his life had he felt such a strong pull towards another of his kind, not even back when he and Elizabeta had had their fling. _Jeez, this is embarrassing,_ he thought, brushing his hair back as it floated in front of his eyes.

Roderich snapped into focus as he felt a hand clamp down on his shoulder. He glanced over to his father, humming in confusion. The larger male tilted his head to the side and pulled on his shoulder, urging them to leave. The merman didn't hesitate to turn and begin swimming away, and he felt more than saw Ludwig do the same on his other side.

What were they doing? Were they just planning on leaving Vash and Lilli here? Roderich was filled with sudden anger, rounding around to snap at his family for their coldness, and he saw the two males floating just a few meters away. Diedrich waved his hand for him to come over to them, Ludwig looking between them.

The mauve male narrowed his eyes, gritting his teeth. How dare they try to get him to leave! After everything Vash has done for him—

"Alright."

Roderich nearly jumped at the voice behind him and spun back around. The spotted male was looking up at him again, eyes much softer than before as he reached out towards him. His heart sped up again as the other brushed against one of his pelvic fins, the webbed verdigris hand hesitating before grasping the translucent fin lightly.

Lilli swam out of her brother's hold and treaded beside them. She looked over to where the other two males had stayed put, waiting, and the young mermaid puffed herself up before swimming over to them. Vash's gaze stayed trained on her as she stopped in front of the larger males, chirping shyly up at them. Ludwig said something quietly to her and held out his hand. The young pup glanced over her shoulder at her brother for permission, and accepted the merman's hand once she got a nod. The two of them then began swimming south together.

Roderich sighed in relief, turning back to his green companion. "I'm glad you decided to come with us," he muttered, shaking out the ruffle in his tail. He wasn't used to this much stress in one day.

Vash just swallowed thickly, dipping his head. A webbed thumb ran across his silver fin and the purple male couldn't help the tingle running across his scales at the light touch. He had no clue as to how he was even more aware of the other merman than before, but he was. It felt like the water was thrumming between them.

"Roderich, let's move," he heard his father call out to him.

The purple merman just made a noise of agreement and finally moved into action. He turned his back to the emerald male and ducked down. "Come on, you can hold onto me."

Vash grunted and let go of his fin, instead reaching up to grab his shoulders. Roderich dipped forward and began to slowly tread through the waves, feeling the weight of the blonde fall against his back. The other male huffed by his ear, and he could easily sense his discomfort.

Even as he swam steadily with the others, Vash did his best to assist—waving his tail as much as he could. But the long appendage frequently rested against him, the blonde's belly warm on his spine. He could feel the ragged cloth brush against his skin and did his best not to bump into him too much. He wasn't used to carrying others like this (usually since _he_ was the one being carried) but he did his best to keep a steady pace.

Diedrich swam quietly behind them as he slowly followed after his family. The larger male said nothing about his son's earlier indignation, and Roderich was grateful. Rarely did he ever go against his father's orders or snap at him, but he couldn't help it in this instance. There was just no way he was going to leave Vash behind, not after he snatched him from the jaws of death.

 _Literally,_ he thought grimly.

After awhile of steadily swimming, Vash seemed to finally give up trying to move. The green merman fully laid atop him then, hesitantly sliding jade-dipped arms over his shoulders and wrapping them around him. He felt a warm cheek press against his neck, sending more tingles across his skin. Roderich reached up to hold the arms around him, starting to hum excitedly.

He was glad the other was finally resting. It couldn't have been easy to even do as much as he had, swimming above him as if he _didn't_ have a huge gash in his side.

Ludwig and Lilli were fairing much easier in front of them. The young pup had initially stayed under the other, hidden between him and the plethora of seagrass they were travelling through, and now she was drifting beside the silver-blue male and chatting with him about this and that. His brother's answers to her whatever questions were curt and gruff, but he always answered. The small mermaid would occasionally glance back at them, mostly to check on her brother he would think.

Roderich ran his fingers over the smooth arms around him, continuing to hum quietly—more to comfort himself and his companion. The adrenaline that had been frequently racing through his veins that afternoon was finally fading and he could feel his muscles sagging from the strain. He wasn't used to so much exertion in one day. _Oh,_ how he wished he was back in their cavern and lounging comfortably in his soft, moss bed. Stretching across the plush cushion, not worried about whether or not he could outrun a shark or if he was going to get anyone killed, just him snoozing away the day.

 _Snuggling into a warm, pale back. Burying his face into silken golden hair. Tracing dark, seaweed-colored rings along a rippling, muscled emerald tail . . ._

"Hey," Vash mumbled in his ear, bringing him out of his daydream. "Is everything okay?"

The violet merman turned his head a bit, spying a concerned face looking at him. He raised an eyebrow, just watching as the blonde scanned the waters around them, seemingly searching for danger.

"You stopped swimming . . . and humming."

"Oh!"

Oh dear, he hadn't even noticed. Ludwig and Lilli were just now cresting over the top of a sandy hill ahead of them, and his father dashed past them to catch up.

Roderich cleared his throat, flustered that he'd fallen behind again. _And what was that fantasy?!_ he scolded himself. He quickly kicked his tail, propelling them swiftly through the water after the others. Vash seemed to settle onto him once more, wincing a bit.

"My apologies," he piped up, wanting to keep speaking with the spotted male. "I guess I got a bit distracted."

Vash mumbled something he didn't quite catch and clucked his tongue. "What a time to space out," he voiced louder. "It's not like you have anyone bleeding out on your back or anything."

"Are you bleeding out?!" the violet merman squeaked, turning his head again. His heart hammered with worry. Had he not tied the cloth tight enough?! What if—

"Calm down," the other male calmed. Roderich could practically feel his eyes roll. "I'm just pulling your tail."

"Well, _excuse_ me for being worried," he grumbled. He couldn't relax, though, but he softened his tone. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine."

"You're _not_ fine, you've had a bite taken out of you." Roderich couldn't help the way his voice pitched a little higher, thinking back to when the merman had thrown himself between him and those gaping jaws. A cold spike drove into his chest.

Vash just heaved a heavy breath, and he could feel the movement of the male's chest expanding against his back. The green merman's voice was a low whisper as he pressed his cheek into the nape of his neck once more, "It's just another scar. I'll live."

The two of them let the weight of the spotted male's words hang in the water.

They were quiet for a moment as the purple merman bounded up and over the sand dune, spotting a familiar group of merfolk just a little ways ahead. Roderich nearly sang with relief, counting out his siblings on the sandy drop-off in front of them. There was Elizabeta with her pink and aqua tail flashing brightly in the sunlight dappling through the water, and Gilbert floating beside her. The twins seemed to be napping in the sand with Klaus, their varying shades of brown and gray scales making them look like a small pile of rocks. Abel and Evicka floated forward to greet Ludwig and Diedrich as they swam up, Lilli staying hidden behind them. He thought he caught a glimpse of something gold flickering at the edge of the drop-off, and tried to lean up to get a better look.

And then he felt the male on his back completely stiffen, arms constricting around his neck.

 _Right,_ he thought, slowing his tail movement, _Vash is technically an outsider. Of course he'd be nervous around everyone._

Said merman suddenly pitched his voice low and called out. Lilli whipped her head around and dashed back towards to where they were floating on the crest of the dune. The young pup's tail wiggled fiercely, her arms reaching out as she closed in and Roderich immediately let go of the male's arms to catch her as she barreled into his chest with a small _oof!_

"Whoa, there, Lilli," the violet merman tried to soothe. "That's just my family."

"There's so many of them!" the little mermaid whispered harshly, sounding tense. Her big jade eyes looked up at him and her brother, wide and nervous.

"It's alright. They're not going to—"

 _ **"Roderich!"**_

A sudden chorus of trills and yawps burst through the water towards the trio, and the back of the violet male's mind practically lit up like lightning with his family all piling their collective relief upon him. He shook his head, dazed for an instant. When his sense came back to him he couldn't help the sudden dread at seeing nearly his entire family speeding towards him. Even the younger ones had awoken and were now excitedly chirping and twirling around each other to get to him. He felt Vash nearly choke him and he hugged Lilli tighter to him, raising up an arm up to placate the oncoming swarm. "E-Everyone, please just—"

A resounding, sharp hiss lit up like a fuse next to his ear and Roderich froze. So did his family, looking at the strange trio with trepidation as they all came to a stop a meter or so away. The violet merman turned to see Vash leaning up on his shoulders and glaring at everyone, pupils slit and fangs clearly visible as he grit his teeth in a snarl.

"Roderich?" Elizabeta chirped cautiously, paddling closer. "Are you alright?"

Gilbert rolled on his side as he began to circle them. "Ooo, it seems you have a pretty big leech on you," his brother snarked, grinning even as Vash growled at him. "Want me to remove it?"

"I'll help you," Abel grunted. He matched Vash's snarl as he circled around to their left, tawny and blue-flecked tail twitching in agitation.

"Come any closer to my sister and I'll kill you," the blonde snapped. His fingers dug into the violet merman's skin, and he hunched up as if getting ready to pounce.

Roderich felt his cheeks heat up, his heart skipping a little. _He's so . . . spirited . . ._

A spark flickered in the back of his mind as something clicked into place, and his whole being was suddenly aflame.

 **...xXx...**

 **And here on our left we have Roderich falling head over tails for one feisty blonde.**

 **Changed the chapter titles to something a little more fitting for the story.**


	7. A Merman In Love

**This chap was originally going to be combined with the last one, but I was like naaahhh there's too much here so I should split em up. I want to keep with shorter chapters as best I can so I don't get too bogged down in my writing, like I sometimes do in May I, and to split up the narrative changes. Anyways, enjoy!**

 **...xXx...**

Diedrich darted overtop his group of children and quickly put himself between the ensuing fight. He circled around Roderich and his two guests, waving off his feisty sons.

"No one is killing anyone," he barked, giving Vash a _look_ before turning to the rest of the group. "I will not tolerate violence, from _anyone."_ He gave a harsh glance to Gilbert in particular.

Said merman gave him a cheeky grin, raising his hands innocently as he retreated back over to the group.

The alpha turned his stern stare towards Abel, expecting his son to also be backing down. He was wrong.

The younger male was caught in a staring match with Vash, both baring their teeth and growling. Diedrich circled his way, more baffled than angry. Usually Abel was the level-headed one of his sons, more laid back and relaxed. He purposely floated in between them, giving his son a curious stare. Abel grimaced and lifted his left arm, showing off a long, pink scar down the length of it, from his cerulean wrist to pale elbow.

Abel tried to crane his head around his father, growling some more, "That one attacked me."

Diedrich sighed. _Ah. Of course._ The male vaguely recalled his son coming home with that injury some time ago, out of breath and fuming. He was about to reply when a harsh snap sounded from behind him. "Then you shouldn't have been in my territory."

"The sun-spot isn't in _your_ territory."

"Yes, it is."

"It's in the reef."

"The reef that's in _my_ meadow, you moron."

"Why you—!"

 _"That is enough."_

Diedrich's bellow was enough to silence all the chattering around him, and any residual growling or snarling. Abel quickly relaxed his huffed up stance and swam over to his sister, Emma patting his tail as he grumbled behind her. The alpha crossed his arms as he stopped in front of his children, his back to Roderich, Vash, and the youngling. This was certainly a needless waste of time. They had to get moving again if they were to make it before sun down.

"There will be no fighting, meine Kinder," he stated as firmly as he could. "Vash is the one who found Roderich—"

"More like enthralled him," Klaus quipped.

Diedrich shot him a look. "— _and_ stopped a tiger shark from killing him. So you will all show him a bit of gratitude. Or, at least, leave him be."

A few confused yelps piped up among the group, loudest of all was Elizabeta's. "What? There was a shark?!" she cried, instantly rushing past him to see if Roderich was alright.

"Is he hurt?" Bazil whimpered, following the mermaid to try and spy his elder brother.

Diedrich caught the youngling around his waist and held him firmly in his arms, giving him a comforting squeeze. "Roderich is fine, Vash took the blow for him," he recounted quietly. He remembered the panic when he saw the predator charge at his son, unable to do anything from where he was, and the utter relief that filled him when the green merman had tackled his boy out of the way.

The large, black-tailed male patted Bazil's ashy hair, giving a serious look to all his children. "If anyone decides to attack these two, for whatever reason," his hard blue eyes glanced to Abel, "Then I shall take it as an attack on myself. Is that understood?"

He turned to look at his guests and was relieved to see that Vash had calmed down. The spotted male nodded his head to the him in thanks as he pushed off of the merman beneath him. The smaller blonde paddled a few feet backwards and held his arm out for his sister, the youngling quickly swimming over to him. The mermaid carefully hid behind him, holding his hand tightly as she stared under his arm at the rest of them.

"He still hurt Abel," Emma called, leaning against her younger brother as he sulked behind her.

The male turned his head to the side, mumbling, "It was over a cycle ago."

"Doesn't look like he'll be hurting anyone any time soon," Gilbert chipped in, gesturing at the jade male.

The alpha noticed that the dark cloth wrappings around the merman's injuries were completely saturated with blood and his skin was ghostly pale. Vash held himself up as best he could, his torso rigid, hiding his pup as best he could—but the older merman could easily see the strain such a stance was putting on him.

Diedrich finally glanced at his purple-iridescent son, expecting him to have said something by now.

Roderich was just staring at the emerald spotted male, completely transfixed. Like a fish mesmerized by a shiny rock. Diedrich blinked, shocked; recognition dawning on him as he saw the look in his son's amethyst eyes.

One of pure, unfiltered desire. His pupils heavily dilated, reflecting absolute longing. Eyes that were glazed over with a blurry, scorching heat.

A heat he knew too well.

 _No. Oh no._

Before he could react, a loud singsong voice echoed through the water towards the group. "My, my, can't we all just get along? We're not savages."

"Baba!"

A little periwinkle blur whizzed past his hip and tackled the side of Roderich's head, causing the mauve male to yelp in fright.

Killian knocked them both into Elizabeta, happily squealing as he hugged around his brother's face. The mermaid easily caught them and giggled at the two, cooing and petting Roderich's arm. The violet male groaned and tried peeling the young pup off of him, to no avail, and simply settled into Elizabeta's side as the small merboy rubbed his cheeks all over his.

"Ah, see? This is much better than all that bickering earlier." Soft fins brushed against his tail as Alexius came up beside him, and Bazil tried to wiggle in his arms to get a better look at the other male. Diedrich didn't have to look at him to know he was smiling.

"At least there was no bloodshed," he said quietly. "Well, more of it anyway."

"And ahhh, wouldn't you know it? Little Vash, you've grown so big!" Alexius cheered, wrapping an unwanted arm around Diedrich's shoulders. Bazil snickered at his father's face. "You finally filled out that stubby tail of yours."

Diedrich could have sworn he heard the spotted male mutter under his breath, something about his tail expressly _not_ being stubby.

He glanced back towards Roderich, pleased to see the male had fully snapped out of his trance. He was desperately trying to keep up with whatever Killian was babbling to him as Elizabeta gave him a thorough lookover for injuries. She whapped him over the head when she found his arm wounds, scolding him for being so careless. The large black-tailed merman released Bazil and spun around out of the other alpha's grasp, beginning to swim towards the drop-off. He stopped at the edge, looking out across the dark blue before him. He cocked his head to the side and made sure his voice was loud enough to be heard by everyone.

"Let's get moving."

 **...xXx...**

 **Meine Kinder - my children**  
 **(again, I believe that Diedrich would speak a bit of German)**

 **Since Bazil (Slovakia) doesn't have any official colors to him yet, I decided for him to have dark, ashy brown hair with pewter-colored eyes, and a dark grey/slate colored tail and arms. He also wears a cute little black ribbon around his neck that Diedrich found on a boat! Evicka (Czech) is very similar but more dark brown than grey and with brown eyes, and has a matching ribbon for her hair! (Diedrich cut it in half for them to share)**

 **Which, by the by, all the merfolks hands are usually colored up to their elbows with colors matching those in their tails. (Vash and Lilli's arms are jade colored and Roddy's are silver)**

 **Anyhoo, I hope ya'll are enjoying so far! There's more fishy, flirty antics to come!**


	8. With A Gleam In His Eye

**It's maaagic . . .**

 **...xXx...**

The two alphas swiftly lead the pod of merfolk out over the drop-off into deeper, darker waters. Despite it being about midday, the ocean beneath them faded into a darker grey until it hit the seafloor quite a ways below. The area was a huge dip in the landscape, and in the distance large aphotic shapes could be seen appearing out of the dusky shadows the closer they got. Fallen fortresses from the past, humans having left the metal carcasses to rot beneath the waves.

The grandiose golden merman, Alexius, took point in the front of the group, leading them confidently through the unknown territory. Diedrich brought up the rear, dutifully making sure no one was left behind, _again._ The pod kept close to each other, murmuring anxiously about their unfamiliar surroundings.

Vash kept his distance from them, safety in numbers be damned.

He absolutely _did not_ want to be clustered in the center of a pod that were obvious about their animosity towards him and his sister. Well, truthfully most seemed outright apathetic towards his presence, but a few of the other males kept giving him sidelong glances—looking at him like he was fish food.

So the green spotted male kept his distance, swimming just behind and under Diedrich. He figured it was safest keeping the black-tailed alpha between him and his rowdy family. His injury still burned across his hip, but thankfully it no longer bled and so he swam on. His sister swam steadily under his belly, only holding onto his hand and sometimes floating up to help push him horizontal again when his tail started to dip. Vash was grateful for her help, even if he felt a tad ashamed having to be looked after by the youngling.

Emerald eyes glanced around the black tail in front of him, spying the flickering of all the colorful tails ahead. A particularly luminescent tail caught his gaze for the hundredth time since they'd started swimming together, flashing violet and silver in the rays of sunlight dappling from above.

Right. _Roderich._

The eel-tailed male hadn't been too pleased when Vash insisted swimming by himself, but the blonde wouldn't hear any of it. Instead, he just grabbed Lilli and propelled himself away from the other merman as fast as possible, no matter if it hurt his wound. The other probably would have swam beside him anyway, despite his desperate need to separate them, but the pod soon snagged Roderich and kept him away themselves.

Vash shook his head, blinking away some of the fuzziness around his vision. He made sure to stay far enough away throughout their trip—anything to distract his heart from the ache that had settled there.

He was angry at himself, angry for allowing himself to feel . . . _anything_ towards the other merman. The iridescent male was now back with his family, back with his _mate and child,_ and out of harms way. He let his gaze flick over to the radiant fuchsia-colored mermaid beside the mauve male, her aqua scale patches glinting off the sunlight and simple coral hairpiece shining amongst her brunette locks. The mermaid swam next to the other, fussing over him and bumping against him, giving his scales reassuring pats as they talked quietly with one another. Occasionally, a small white head would pop up between them, light periwinkle-colored hands waving about until either adult noticed him. Then one of them would take the small merboy in their arms and coo and coddle him until he settled down.

Vash wanted to smack himself for falling for the other's kind looks, the touches, and that—that blasted _singing._ He'd started to think . . .

 _ **No.**_ The universe wasn't that kind to him. Roderich was just a stranger, and this whole thing was just a completely strange circumstance. They'd all arrive at the Great Alcazar, find out what was so damned important, and then he would return home and never, _ever_ leave again.

The leopard-tailed male shook his head again, desperately fighting off the throbbing in his torso. He choked back a hiss of pain as he readjusted the sash around his waist, not wanting to startle his sister beneath him. _Honestly._ He'd had worse injuries. It certainly didn't help that his heart, though, for whatever reason, was pounding like _it_ had had a large bite taken out of it.

He couldn't help it as his gaze flicked over to the violet male once again. What in all the seas and sky had that merman _done_ to him? Was that song he sang some kind of spell? A spell that made him feel this way? Another pang shot through his heart and he grit his teeth, inwardly scolding himself. _And just_ how _does he make me feel, huh?_ A quiet growl rumbled in his throat and he narrowed his eyes, blinking quickly as his heartbeat sped up.

The verdant merman ignored his heavy breathing and the permanent shocks racking through him every time he swayed his tail back and forth, not noticing that he was falling behind the pod quite significantly. His peripheral vision seemed to darken until all he could see was a flashy, thin purple tail waving in front of him. Like a blinding pinpoint of light and color, and those amethyst eyes were staring at him as if they were glowing and— _what?_

 _Why was . . ._ His head spun and he closed his eyes.

 **...xXx...**

 _The body pressed against him was warm and gentle, strong arms wrapped around him holding him tight. Vash didn't open his eyes, but instead snuggled into the chest he was holding onto. He knew these arms, and welcomed their familiar comfort. He didn't want to fall back asleep, wanting to stay awake with the other a bit longer, but he was so comfortable and safe he couldn't help the way he started to doze. Light, soft humming soothed him and his fuzzy mind struggled to stay awake any longer. Then a hushed, peaceful voice lulled him back into the darkness._

 _"Rest, my dear, and be stronger for it."_

 **...xXx...**

 _Don't go . . ._

Vash awoke lying in the sand, his body aching, but the pain of his wound had thankfully subsided to a dull throb. He tried to assess his surroundings without opening his eyes. The dip in the ground was comfortable enough, and he was lying on his good side, so that helped his soreness. Everything was calm around him, the water, the noise, nothing standing out to him too much. Green eyes finally peeked open and he glanced around.

The water was dim around him, and the first thing that was obvious was that he was surrounded by metal. He was lying in a room of a ship, half sunken into the sand. He could reach up to touch the ceiling of the room if he wanted, only then he realized that there was an opening above, a few meters away. He also quickly realized that he was completely alone.

Vash sat up quickly, hair whipping in front of his eyes as he looked around in a panic. Somewhere in the back of his mind registered that his side didn't hurt when he sat up, but he hardly noticed that above his heart racing. Emerald eyes darted around the darkened room, his thoughts preoccupied with finding his sister. He reached out with his senses to feel along their close connection, and the wave of relief at feeling that she was close by _—and safe—_ made him fall back into the sand.

He covered his eyes with his arm for a moment as he calmed his rapid heartbeat, his mind running over the thick strand of their bond to soothe himself. She was okay, she was nearby—she even seemed excited?

Suddenly, something in the back of his mind, something other than his sister, _tugged_ and his whole being burned with energy.

"You're awake!"

Vash nearly jolted upright again at the jovial voice that assaulted him. He moved his arm and peeked out to see a certain purple merman poking his head through the opening in the ceiling, amethyst eyes vividly bright in the dusk water. Seeing the other simultaneously made his body go rigid and put his heart at ease even more.

Roderich ducked in through the hole in the roof and swam over to him, tail waving in excitement. He stopped, looking like he was holding himself back from rushing him. The male's words were warm and breathless as he floated beside him just an arm length away. "Thank the stars! I thought we were going to lose you there for awhile."

Vash cleared his throat, unable to help the little flip his heart did as the other merman's relief washed over him in thick waves. "What happened?"

"You fell unconscious," Roderich said, settling onto his elbows in the sand a bit closer to him. "Nearly sank to the bottom of the ocean before Lilli and I caught you."

"Lilli? Is she alright?" He tried to keep the flutter of panic out of his tone, hoping the other wouldn't notice. The green merman felt over their bond again, just to make sure for himself that the youngling was, indeed safe.

Roderich nodded at him, throat rumbling softly. "She's fine, Vash. We're in one of the shipwrecks now, the others went on ahead to let us rest."

The spotted merman's brows furrowed, confused that the pod would willingly leave Roderich behind this time. "They just went on ahead?"

"I think they were starting to get a little annoyed," Roderich muttered. Then he quickly gestured at Vash, his words hurried. "Not at you, by the way, they completely understood about your injury. Emma actually helped me heal you a bit more."

 _Which one was Emma? Was that the pink one?_

Vash grimaced at himself, trying to focus on the conversation and _not_ the snag in his mind. "Why would they be annoyed?"

The purple male shrugged, giving him a lopsided smile. "Ah, who knows."

"Roderich?" His frown deepened. He didn't want to cause a rift in the pod, for whatever reason. The merman should have just left him alone and went on with the others instead, and—

 _Oh,_ his heart just _hurt_ at that thought. _Why?_

"Don't worry yourself over it," Roderich went on, waving at him again. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

"What time is it?" Vash groaned, going to sit up again but quickly deciding against it in favor of his wound. The layers of cloth were still tied tightly around his waist, and he ran his fingers over the knot at the side. He debated whether or not to take off the material so he could have a good look at the injury; it was probably a good idea for him, anyway. He needed to know just how deep the shark had bit.

"The sun has started to set. We should probably just stay here for the night."

Vash snapped his head up. "Won't the others be expecting us?"

Roderich just calmly leaned forward, reaching out to help untie the knot around his waist. "My father said that if we weren't there around midday tomorrow that he'd come back to get us."

While the green merman wasn't exactly pleased with the idea of having to spend the night in a decaying shipyard with the other male, he didn't object. His muscles were still sore from his earlier exertion, trying to swim when he knew he really shouldn't have. He should have just swallowed his pride and let the others carry him from the start, but he couldn't. He didn't want to rely on others, but in doing so had only made it worse for them all in the long run.

He sighed inwardly and lifted himself up a bit so Roderich could unwrap the cloth from him. Once he was free and settled back down in the sand on his side, he looked down for the first time to assess the damage. Vash gasped.

The bite wound covered the whole left side of his hip; from the middle of his back to just around his hip bone. The pink, ripped half circle on his underbelly looked way worse than the dotted one on top, but . . .

"Wow," he breathed, reaching out to tentatively to trace the laceration. It couldn't have been this shallow or—or healed this much already. There was just _no way._ It looked as if a week or so had already gone by; the muscle was all stitched back together, but still open enough to remind him that he'd even gotten hurt. Vash glanced up at his companion, eyes searching his face for answers, mouth agape as he tried to form the right words. "How did you—?"

Roderich hummed and glanced at his injury. He carefully reached up a webbed hand as he inspected the cut, the palm hovering close to the torn skin and scales. All of a sudden a bright, golden light glowed under his fingers as he traced the gauge on the underside of his belly. The light was hot, and yet not uncomfortable as his palm passed over his skin, leaving a cooling, balmy sensation as it went. Vash watched, speechless as he witnessed the muscle and skin draw closer as he finished the underside and began working along his back, some of the smaller cuts even closing all the way and just leaving behind tiny pink marks.

The glow faded once he'd made a pass over the whole length of the injury, and Roderich sank back onto his elbows beside him. He slumped into the seafloor, curling the hand he'd used into a fist. "I don't have any of the ingredients I usually use," the male murmured, breaking the heavy silence with a sniff, "but Emma helped me. I apologize that I couldn't do more, I'm a little drained after earlier."

Vash snapped his mouth shut, shaking himself out of his awe. "I-It's fine," he babbled. "I just . . . _Wow."_ He glanced down at his hip again, running a finger over the tender skin and reveling that there were no immediate shocks of pain. "It's all closed up."

"Thank the stars," Roderich uttered again, flexing his fingers as he stared worriedly at the wound. He jumped slightly when Vash reached out to grab his hand, the one he'd used to heal him, and inspect it as if it were a crab shell to be cracked open.

The skin on his palm and fingers were pitch black, as if charred by lightning.

"I haven't seen magic in—" The green merman cut himself off, willing his thoughts away. He released the other from his hold, trying not to notice when Roderich kept his hand out a moment longer, in case he wished to keep holding it. Vash just pulled away and leaned back into his makeshift sandy nest, his eyes drifting over to his hip again, still a bit disbelieving. "I don't have any, myself, and I don't know if Lilli does yet."

"You don't have magic?" Roderich chirped in shock. "I thought all our kind could do some magic, at least."

"None that I know of. I used to try to shrink boats all the time, believe me." Vash recalled his younger self swimming beneath small fishing boats and waving his arms emphatically, willing the fisherman and their ships to the size of plankton. He almost smiled at the memory.

The other male's throat rumbled with soft laughter, his burnt hand moving to try and hide his smile from him. "Oh, dear. I admit, that would have been a sight to see," he cooed. Then violet eyes lit up even more in the encroaching darkness. "Perhaps I could try to teach you a few healing spells? It's not really my specialty, and I usually need components, but they can still help."

 _That would be handy,_ his thoughts supplied him before he could stop them. His injury no longer ached, just his sore tail muscles, and a gentle, pleasing thrum of energy was circulating around inside of him. It would definitely be good for looking after his sister and her occasional mysterious cuts she got out of nowhere, and for hiding the bruises and bites he'd sometimes get while patrolling.

 _But that would mean spending more time with him,_ his mind quickly whiplashed, and his heart stuttered at the thought.

He couldn't just do that. Roderich was part of a pod, a different and much larger one at that, and it was supposed to be just Vash and Lilli. They all still didn't know why they were heading to the Great Alcazar, and he highly doubted they'd see each other much after they'd all returned to their separate territories. He couldn't just swim over and see the other whenever he wanted, just to learn some magic he'd probably be unable to wield anyway.

He just couldn't.

"No," Vash voiced quietly, eyes flicking apprehensively over the other to judge his reaction. "No, sorry. I just don't think it will workout."

"Oh." He noticed the way Roderich's face fell just a small bit, and he felt his own do the same. "Maybe I could show Lilli, then you could see whether or not she can use magic?"

"She's still too young. I don't want to get her hopes up if she can't."

"Alright." The purple male was silent a few heartbeats, hands fiddling with the waist cloth. Then he perked back up, quickly urging Vash to lift up once more so he could wrap it around his injury nice and snug. "Are you hungry? Emma went out hunting awhile ago so I could grab you something."

"Has Lilli eaten?"

"Yes, yes, she ate her fill. There's surprisingly a lot of fish around here. So . . ?" Vash nodded. "Just a moment."

Roderich sprang up from the sand and swiftly disappeared out the opening in the roof. He wasn't gone but a few seconds before trailing back into the room with an armful of fish.

Vash eyed the food, gratefully picking up a plump looking grouper and taking a bite. "Where's Lilli now?" he asked around his mouthful.

Roderich smirked at him and picked up a fish of his own. "Her and Killian are playing just outside."

"Killian?"

"My little brother, the littlest. He's even younger than Lilli." The violet merman hanged his head for a moment as he chewed, shoulders sagging as he muttered, "Bless her, she's keeping him away from me for the moment."

Vash would have laughed at the other's worn out look, but he found his mind screeching to a halt. _Brother?_ He pictured the small youngling, with his eel-like tail that matched no one else's but Roderich in both shape and color. None of the others in Diedrich's pod looked like them, he'd noticed, and this Killian had seemed way younger than even the other younglings. And he was _certainly_ much younger than Roderich, and Roderich was _certainly_ old enough to have his own pups by now. Not to mention the way that he and that pink female handled the small merboy, as if he was their own.

 _There's no way!_ He shook his head, eyes narrowing over the fish in his hands. _He_ _ **has**_ _to be lying._ He didn't know why he would, but he had to be, right? What could the other possibly gain by doing so?

Roderich seemed to catch on to his suspicious gaze, head tilting to the side as he raised a thin eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

"He's your brother?" Vash asked slowly, pointing a bone at him. "He's not yours and your mate's?"

"Mate?" Amethyst eyes flashed in the dim lighting, glowing and wide in surprise. Then something else flickered across those bright irises, heavy and mysterious, before his eyes crinkled in amusement. The merman leaned forward into his palm as he set his meal down for the moment, voice curling into a silky purr. "Darling, I don't _have_ a mate."

"B-But the pink mermaid, the one with the long hair . . ." Vash was fumbling over his words, feeling pinned to the seafloor by the male's intense stare. His whole being pulsed with that energy from before when Roderich had appeared, and he felt that tugging again behind his thoughts.

"Oh?" The lasciviousness of the other's voice hadn't let up, though those violet eyes did free him from their hold long enough to roll in exaggeration. "That's Elizabeta. She's with my brother Gilbert—though how she can stand that grinning fool is beyond me."

He should just keep quiet now, a weak thought screamed at him, before he dug his grave any further. But it seemed his more confounding/distressing side of himself wouldn't shut up. "But how do you not have a mate? You're in such a large pod!"

Roderich pushed off his arms and spun in a lazy circle, reaching out to brush the rusted metal ceiling with a silver hand. "We're all family, now at least. My father brought in Emma, Abel, and Klaus when we were all still young. Klaus could barely open his eyes back then. And then he found the twins abandoned a few cycles after that, having just been born and left under a dock." His tone was soft as he twirled upright, long tail curling around the end of Vash's own as he settled back into the sand. The heat had disappeared from his gaze as he stared at Vash once more, murmuring, "Father returned from an outing a few cycles ago with an injured Elizabeta on his back and a newborn Killian in his arms."

Vash took a slow bite of the grouper, chewing thoughtfully as he absorbed the information. With Roderich being a couple cycles older than him, that means he must have spent most of his life around the others, obviously raised as siblings and not as possible pairs. And who knew, the others could have been from some of Diedrich's flings or something.

He glanced over into gleaming, violaceous eyes. "So . . . you're definitely a bachelor then?"

"So are you." Roderich pointed out, winking and gesturing at him. "Unless you've got a secret maiden hidden away, I'd say you look pretty available."

Vash nearly choked, feeling his cheeks heat up. "Yeah, well, don't get any ideas," he grumbled, rolling onto his belly to slyly hide it, and turning away to face the wall as he nibbled on his meal. "I'm not interested."

"Who ever said I was interested in _you?"_

"Oh?" Vash couldn't help his lip twitch.

"I mean," that sultry voice egged on, "why would I go for you, when your sister is far cuter?"

His head whipped around so fast it took another heartbeat for his hair to uncover his glare. "Why you—!" Whatever insult he had planned died on his tongue at the sight of the other's mischievous grin. His blush was spreading into his ears now, he knew it. _How dare he!_ Vash huffed and tried to hide his blush behind the half-eaten grouper, frustrated that the other nearly had him limp like the dead fish.

Oh, he'd _definitely_ casted a spell on him.

 **...xXx...**

 **Hoo boi Vash get it together your crush is showing.**


	9. I Was A Younger Merboy

**Back to Roderich's POV, and this time it gets a little spooky!**

 **...xXx...**

To be honest, getting a half-eaten grouper thrown at him was definitely one of the better things to happen to him that day.

Roderich couldn't help the bubble of laughter that escaped him at his companion, catching the fish aimed at his face. His spine was tingling all the way from the base of his neck to the tip of his tail, a pleasant warmth swirling around beneath his scales. Seeing Vash's skin flushing pink from his nose to his shoulders brought a smile to his face, and he couldn't help the small purr rumbling in his throat.

"Here," he hummed, handing the bashful merman back his fish. "You need to keep up your strength."

The spotted male was still buried into his sand nest, hiding in his arms, and peeked up one glaring green eye. He eyed the grouper hungrily before giving in, snatching it from him.

A small chirp from outside the ship caught his attention, and he reluctantly spun around to answer it. Poking his head out the porthole, he spotted Emma herding two sleepy looking pups towards him. His sister had a few more fish tied at her hip, both her and Vash's spears strapped to her back.

"I think it's time these two got some sleep," she called to him, gently nudging the pups forward. It was getting dark, the waters around them now nearly black, fading to a lighter blue-grey towards the surface high above them. The only light around them were the glow from their irises and a small ball of light in the palm of Emma's webbed hand. Killian was yawning and Lilli was rubbing her eyes, trying to stay awake enough to keep swimming.

Roderich softened at the sight and swam out of the opening over to the trio. He gently grabbed Lilli's arm and helped pull her towards the porthole, murmuring, "Your brother's awake now, little one."

Lilli's eyes lit up and she immediately looked towards the porthole. She dashed away from him, her little green tail disappearing into the metal ship. He could hear her soft cry of relief and the distant coos of Vash trying to settle her down. Roderich peeked his head into the opening to see the small mermaid clinging around her brother's neck, wailing and sniffling. The spotted male held onto her tightly, petting her hair and whispering quietly into her ear.

The violet male felt his stomach sink a little. He'd had no idea just how scared the pup must have been. Sure, it was Lilli's cries that first alerted him that Vash had fallen unconscious, the mermaid trying desperately to hold up the merman by his arm as he started to sink. Roderich had dashed over as fast as possible, surely surprising his family, to catch the other male and made sure to keep Lilli close to him, as well. She'd seemed worried, of course, but alright throughout the evening. The pup even seemed happy enough to play with his youngest brother while he and Emma had worked on healing her brother.

Roderich felt guilty at how oblivious he'd been.

To be fair to himself, he hadn't exactly been in the right state of mind to notice such things. As soon as he'd seen that Vash had fallen . . .

His heart sped up.

"I haven't seen you look at anyone like that in a long time," Emma said quietly, stopping beside him to peek inside the porthole at the siblings. He glanced over to see she now had a dozing Killian in her arms, and that she was giving him _a look._ "Not since Liz came to live with us."

Roderich felt like protesting her insinuation, but found he couldn't. He just ducked his head at her gaze, muttering, "Am I that obvious?"

"That you want to smother him completely? Yes," his sister teased lightly, bumping her shoulder into his. _**We all saw it.**_

 _ **I know,**_ he added back inwardly. He suddenly felt ashamed of his earlier actions—having done nothing but snap at his family whenever they got too close to him and Vash, even yelling at their father.

Emma's smile fell in the light from her glowing palm, and she pressed the length of her warm tawny tail against his, trying to comfort him.

"Thank you for your help," Roderich whispered, finally meeting his sister's kind, luminous green eyes. His tail shifted awkwardly beside hers. "I know that he hurt Abel and all, and that I didn't exactly _ask_ —"

"Roddy, it's alright," she said. She shifted the sleepy merboy in her arms over to him, using her now free hands to form the light in her palm even more. "I don't mind helping you, and he saved your life. Plus, Abel's just holding a grudge, you know him. He'll get over it."

"I still feel bad about it all, though." Roderich groaned and petted his brother's long hair as he cradled him against his chest, more to comfort himself.

 ** _Don't,_** the mermaid scolded him, her tail swatting him gently. He just pressed back, dropping the subject.

Emma's fingers knitted the light together into a hand-sized orb, letting it float around her as she worked to make a few more. Once she had about half a dozen, she motioned for him to go inside the ship, following and placing a ball of light in the center of the porthole. She went around to each corner of the room and carefully set each of the orbs up, slowly illuminating the small space.

"What is she doing?" The eel-tailed merman turned towards Vash, feeling his mood lighten just by looking at the other male. Lilli was still snuggled into his chest, the both of them settled comfortable into the sandy nest in the far corner.

Before he could answer him, however, he heard his sister pipe up happily from the adjacent corner as she placed another orb. "I'm just lighting up the place a bit! It's so dark out now, I'm sure the sun has completely set."

Roderich knew it wasn't just light she was providing, but also protection. If anything were to cross through the web of light it would immediately be caught until she released them. It was just a precaution—they were all in foreign territory, after all. Who knew what sorts of creatures lurked around these sunken metal graves. There was certainly enough smaller prey around to feed most any large predators.

"Won't that just call attention to us?" Vash hissed, glancing uncertainly between the two of them.

"Certainly not," Roderich assured. "Only we can see the light, fish can't."

The green male still looked wary, rumbling deep in his chest. The noise made a tingle run up his spine, and the mauve male shook out his tail as the shocks ran through to the tip of it. He decided to busy himself with clearing away the pile of fish he'd brought in for the merman, offering another fish to him before he started. Vash just shook his head and held his sleeping sister closer to him, brushing her hair with his fingers.

The violet merman carefully untangled his little brother's arms from around his neck, dipping his head towards the leopard-tailed male. "Could you, perhaps, ah . . ."

Vash stiffened, his brows furrowing slightly. Bright, verdant irises scanned him up and down, looking suspicious, before settling on the youngling in his arms and softening their intensity. The blonde nodded, reaching out an arm to take the pup from him. He cradled the small merboy against him, beginning to smooth out his white hair, like with his sister.

Roderich nearly melted at the sight, and he had to force himself away before he did something stupid. Like wrap his arms around the other male so he would pet his hair, too. He could feel a thrum of amusement in the back of his mind and shot his sister a glare, ignoring her giggling.

He decided to distract himself by moving all the leftover fish into the corner by the porthole, taking a small piece to snack on while he worked. He removed the bones discarded by Vash and tossed them outside, following suit with his own. Emma finished setting up all of the lights and was currently digging out a large dip in the sand for them to rest in. The spotted green male looked a little uncomfortable having them so close, but considering there wasn't much room in their safe space to begin with he didn't say anything.

"It'll feel good to get some sleep," Emma was saying, calmly sweeping the sand aside with her arms and tail.

"Yes," Roderich agreed, already tired of the never ending ache in his muscles. "It's been a long day."

"I wonder if the others arrived okay."

"I'm sure they did," he hummed, "We would know if anything happened."

"That's true."

"You're Emma . . . right?"

Both siblings glanced to their companion, a little surprised at the question. Roderich paddled closer, nodding as he recalled their earlier conversation. Vash just grimaced, looking down at the sand for a moment. Then he mumbled quietly, ducking his head in the mermaid's direction. "Then, thank you. For, ah—" he gestured at the wrappings on his hip, "You know."

Roderich shared a glance with his sister, and he could feel that she was caught off guard. Her glowing eyes crinkled in the dim light, peering over his shoulder at the other male. "You're quite welcome. Vash, yeah?"

The leopard-tailed male nodded, startling somewhat when Roderich reached for him. The iridescent merman chuckled a bit at the reaction, gesturing to his brother in the other's arms. Vash quickly realized what he was getting at, handing the pup over to him carefully, but that didn't stop the blush from flaring up in his cheeks.

And, _oh,_ his blood just burned at that. Did the thought of having to touch him really make the other so shy?

Roderich couldn't help but twirl in place, holding the pup securely in his arms. He dipped his voice low, eyes flashing at the other. "And this is Killian. My _brother_ ," he added huskily, winking.

Vash had his back pressed against metal wall, holding his sister up between them almost as a wall of defense. That blush creeped down his neck and spread along the pale skin of his shoulders.

"Yeah, of course he's your brother!" Vash snapped, eyes still wide as he held his intense gaze. "I know that now!"

"But you didn't earlier," he sang softly, smirking. The green male gasped as if he'd physically slapped him, hiding his face into his sister's.

 _Oh, how lovely._ Roderich felt a pinch on one of his pectoral fins and yipped, spinning around.

His sister was giving him another look that just screamed, **_Knock it off, loverboy._**

He pressed his lips together in a grimace. _**I'm older than you, you know.**_

 _ **I don't care.**_ Emma grinned at him, and he admitted defeat.

They both settled into the makeshift nest she'd put together, adjusting Killian between them. Roderich glanced over to see that Vash officially had his back to them now, curling in the corner as far away as he could get—which wasn't more than half an arm length.

It felt much larger to the violet male.

 _ **Come on,**_ his sister's words guided him away from the other merman. He laid on his side facing her, curling his tail around hers as she huddled into his chest, Killian safely snoozing between them. _**Be a good older brother and keep us warm.**_

Roderich hummed at her attempt of affection, but dutifully wrapped his arms around her. He really was grateful for all her help, and he knew she must be exhausted from using as much magic as she had. Soon he felt her sag against him, falling into restful sleep.

The heat at his back kept him awake awhile longer, before he, too, let sleep overtake him.

 **...xXx...**

The first thing he noticed was something tugging on his hair, sharp and insistent.

 _ **Baba!**_

The second thing he noticed was that it was cold, colder than it should have been. Perhaps it was because they were a lot deeper than they were used to, or surrounded by metal, but the water felt close to ice. Piercing into his scales anywhere that wasn't touching his family. The group of them must have huddled together unconsciously in the night, as he could feel the warm press of a back against his own.

 _ **Ba! Wake up!**_

Roderich grumbled and tried peeling his eyes open, wincing as his hair was pulled once more. It was still quite dark, the only light the now faint grey light of the orbs around them, but there were a pair of shining purple eyes staring him in the face.

He stiffened, feeling the alarm radiating off the small merboy in heavy waves. He quickly glanced around them, trying to see anything wrong. The others were all still completely asleep, but he could definitely sense something moving through the water outside.

His heart sped up and he bristled, tucking his sister's tail closer to him with his own. It could just be nothing, or another fish swimming by, but the way Killian was shivering in his arms told him otherwise. And he could feel it too, something distasteful was seeping through the water.

The pup whimpered and he quickly shushed him, nudging his nose. He shook Emma's shoulder to wake her, grabbing over her for one of the spears she'd set aside as she blinked awake.

"Wha . . ?" Roderich quickly covered her mouth, shaking his head. She stared at him in confusion, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before she stiffened. The mermaid must sense it, too, whatever it was.

The violet male unwrapped his tail from her and rolled over to place Killian gently in the corner beside Lilli, even though the pup was reluctant to let go of him at all. Vash awoke at the movement, tensing as his space was invaded. Roderich just quickly ducked down, giving him a warning, soft hiss.

The spotted male silently took Killian from him, jostling Lilli awake as he sat up and pressed both younglings deeper into the corner. The two pups held onto each other tightly and Vash moved so he was blocking them from sight. Emma had picked up the other spear and the both of them took up point in front of the spotted male, so all of them were amassed in the corner farthest from the entrance to their safe space.

Then suddenly, the water displaced just outside the porthole and a raspy lilt fizzled through the waves.

 **You,** the word spat into his ear, and he froze to the sand—they all did. Roderich could hear his pulse pounding wildly in his veins. Then several other similar voices called out, venomously teething through the water around them— **there you are,** **what happened** , **you're alone now** —and the words instantaneously made him sick to his stomach.

The voices were enough to have them all cowering in the corner, clinging to one another as he and Emma halfheartedly held out their spears. The pups behind them were shaking, Killian starting to babble in fright as Lilli reached out to grab one of her brother's pectoral fins.

Roderich kept his eyes on the porthole, spear out. A dark shadow, darker than the black water outside, dipped into the opening. The ball of light sizzled and popped out of existence, all the rest around the room following suit with loud bursts and leaving them in total darkness now. Emma pressed against his side, and he could feel her trembling. Well, _that_ wasn't supposed to happen.

The obsidian shadow dipped in through the opening once more, resembling a skeletal claw. The long, thin shape began to morph disgustingly into an amorphous blob, and swiftly disappeared back out of the hole. Roderich shared a glance with the others, chest squeezing at the shared fear in their eyes. What in all the seas—

A loud, grating screech suddenly pierced the water and something massive slammed against the side of the ship. They all scrambled tighter together, even Emma hiding behind him now as he stuck his arms protectively out in from of them. Vash was growling fiercely, webbed hand gripping his shoulder as he tensed up, looking ready to pounce. Roderich used his long tail to tuck theirs closer, bravely staying out in front even as he felt his skin and scales rising in fright and agitation.

He didn't feel so brave, though, as those wispy voices leaked around them— **let us eat . . . h** **orrible, c** **aught you now.**

The shape slammed into the ship again, the metal groaning and buckling in the far corner. Lilli yelped behind him, and that claw dipped into the porthole once more, scratching around. The creature couldn't seem to get in, or reach them, but Roderich was sure that it could easily break through the wall if it so wanted. The spindly arm pulled out again, and a rhythmic tapping sounded against the rusty metal.

 **what to do,** **to do**

 **be patient**

Then a deeper, darker voice growled out and the reverberations shook the water.

 **PATIENCE**

Just as quickly as it appeared, the malevolent force vanished—leaving them all frozen in the sand.

Roderich swallowed the lump in his throat and slowly turned around to look at his companions huddled behind him. Violet eyes flicked from green, to green, to violet, then to green. He'd just barely worked up the nerve to speak, wanting to voice his utter confusion and worry, opening his mouth, when a high pitched shriek highlighted the water around them.

Suddenly, everything was bright, too bright, loud and racking through his ribcage. The others reeled back away from him, and the faint sound of his siblings wailing fought to reach his ears through the thick waters.

He was cold, _so cold._

Muscles grating like they were stitched together by ice itself, he forced himself to look down.

A grotesque, horrifying claw pierced out of his heart.

 **...xXx...**

 **Oh no, the plot's kickin' off now!**

 **I had a hard time deciding how to format the disembodied voices at the end, so apologies if it's a little disjointed or jarring. I guess that sort of works in its favor, though, eh?**

 **To clarify for any who are curious, the telepathic connection is kind of based on distance and how closely bonded the merfolk are. Since Emma and Roderich are family and right next to each other, it's easy for them to speak telepathically. The farther Roderich was away, however, meant that his family could only sense his base feelings and emotions, and sense the vague direction they were coming from.**

 **~WhisperWeeper**


	10. All Dressed In White

**No warnings, just a bit of "crushing" introspection.**

 **...xXx...**

Roderich was screaming.

A ragged, ear-splitting cry that was framed by the hissing laughter of the darkness wrapped around them.

Then the sound was quickly sapped away. The merman mouthed wordlessly at the water, eyes blown wide and unfocused as he slumped onto the monstrous claw stabbed through his chest. Like a fish caught on a hook.

And Vash felt the agony in his heart with equal intensity.

The violet male's shrieks of horror and pain felt like his own being ripped from his throat, and the chill seeping through the water had his blood frozen.

He didn't know exactly when he moved, or how, but suddenly he was upon the terror. An invisible force surrounded him, filled him, and pushed and pulled his muscles into action. Biting and clawing at the formless void monster, the flesh of which his attacks melted right through like it was a glacial slush. The wispy voices screeched and it shrunk back, then the shadow began to pull out of the porthole, taking its catch with it.

 _No!_

Vash threw himself onto the other merman, kicking his tail in heavy strokes to keep the creature from taking Roderich away. He dug his nails into the male's icy skin, holding him tight to his chest. The blackness cried out, violently slamming him into the metal walls, sending clouds of sand swirling around them in a wild storm.

Despite the breath being knocked out of him, the green male held on. He reached out in an attempt to grab around the malicious appendage and pull it from the violet merman's back. The black mist writhed in his hold, barely corporeal, yet unable to struggle away from him.

 **let go**

 **he's ours**

Metal bit sharply into his skin as he was crushed against the side of the room, the rusted wall groaning under the force. Vash gasped at the hit, scales stinging, and he grit his teeth in desperation.

No one was going to fall prey to that _thing_. Not that night, not if he could help it.

 _Especially not him._

The claw twisted and jerked in his grasp, the wraithy limb burning into his palm with an icy fury. That guttural, disembodied voice screamed out once more, making the water tremble.

 **OURS**

Vash heard distant, muffled screaming—barely recognizing it as the merman in his arms. His mouth was right next to his ear, yet he sounded like he was a world away. The cry set a fire within him, his entire being all at once flush with rage and pain and a renewed strength.

The green male hissed with frustration and yanked on the shadow, his mind a torrent of, _No, no, no._

 **LET GO**

 _No!_

He was slammed into the sharp edges of the porthole, pressing the length of his tail against the metal to keep them both from being pulled out. The creature shrieked and thrashed around disturbingly, its form twitching and swelling, and he thought he caught sight of a pinpoint of light outside the ship around the rippling darkness.

 **YOU ARE NOTHING**

 _No . . ._

 **HE BELONGS TO US**

The green merman strained against the shadow, the fear welling up within him threatening to overwhelm his senses.

 _ **"No!"**_

With a howl, Vash coiled back and ripped the claw away.

A white light shot out in front of him, searing and brilliant. The instant pressure that burst forth shot them backward, and the two mermen tumbled roughly into the sand. The vivid light waved and pulsed so brightly that Vash could no longer keep his eyes open. The raucous of wailing and metal warping and breaking around him nearly deafened him.

All he could do was hold onto the merman in his arms, burying his face against the too-harsh light. He would later curse that blinding light for making him unable to see the wall of metal that crushed down on top of them.

 **...xXx...**

The sound of soft crying woke him.

Vash lifted his head slowly, blinking his sore eyes to peer through the dim water around him. Everything was quiet and calm, but space was too tight around him. Metal was caged around him, two pieces of the ship having crumpled and caved onto him, trapping him between sharp metal and cold flesh.

The malevolent darkness was no longer present. He breathed a small sigh, grateful, when he noticed that he was still clinging to Roderich.

The other male was freezing to the touch and completely limp, unmoving.

Vash pushed up onto his elbows, as much as he could with the heavy weight of rusty metal pressing down on his back. It was hard to take in a full breath, and he could just barely shoulder the weight. He bit back the ache in his muscles from his fight with _whatever_ that thing was, and stared down at the merman beneath him.

Roderich's palette was that of death; all the color drained from his skin and scales and hair, leaving him waxen and varying shades of grey. No deep violet, or shining silver, or lush umber locks. A black starburst mark was scorched across the skin over his heart where the claw had pierced him. The mark was moving, flickering like strands of seagrass in the current. It unsettled him to be pressed so close to that dark mark.

His blood pounded in his ears at the sight of the _much too still_ male. Roderich wasn't breathing, his chest static, gills motionless. The leopard-tailed merman carefully ran a knuckle underneath the male's jaw, feeling no pulse. He snatched his hand away.

 _What?_ Vash shook his head, blinking his eyes to try and grant him another sight than the one before him. _This can't be happening._ He'd _saved_ him from the monster, from—from _death,_ so he shouldn't be—Roderich couldn't—

Hushed cries and sniffles momentarily drew his attention, and he glanced to the side.

Through the heap of metal he could hear the quiet sniffles of his sister and the other pup, both being whispered to by the older mermaid, Emma. Vash felt his heart settle a bit, sensing that his sibling was unharmed, and he reached out along their bond, **_I'm alright, Lilli._** He was torn between being pleased and distraught when he heard her cry out louder, getting waves of relief in the back of his head as a response.

The leopard-tailed male turned back to the merman beneath him, icy skin and scales chilling him to the bone. Jagged metal edges pinched him awfully as he adjusted himself again, scooting upwards a bit so his face was level with the other male's. Roderich's expression was oddly peaceful looking; his eyes were closed and relaxed, long lashes resting against pale skin, his grey lips parted slightly.

Vash was at a loss for what to do.

The fire he had felt burning through him during his struggle just moments ago was now nothing but a flicker. Nearly snuffed out by shock and disbelief, and the ever growing sludge of horror seeping through his veins.

There was just _no_ _way_ the other was really . . . was . . .

Roderich had been a stranger this morning—so why should he care? Why was he trembling at being unable to put some distance between him and the _too horrifyingly motionless_ merman? So what if he'd saved him from being eaten by a shark, or taken by a monstrous creature, or if the other male had in turn saved his life when he was so close to bleeding out. Why was it getting so hard to breathe? Since that morning so much had already happened, so much unwanted violence and tension and . . . and _touches_ and teasing. He felt his eyes getting hot. Oh, _why was_ his heart nearly choking him?!

He wouldn't accept it.

 _How did I do that light trick?_ he thought, mind churning for a solution. _That_ was _me, wasn't it?_

Vash rolled his weight onto his left side, gasping as the metal wall groaned and slipped further on top of him as he reached down towards that shimmering shadow mark on the other's chest. He pressed his palm to it, swearing he could feel the wriggling of the dark strands against his skin despite his mind saying that was impossible. It was just a mark on the skin, a wound, not a physical entity—

He stilled as he felt the something _definitely_ move then, shying away from his hand. He shook his head, forcing away his doubts for the moment, and tried to crane his head to look down at the mark. The pure black starburst wiggled and waved away from his fingertips, and that's when he realized it wasn't a stain on Roderich's skin. It was _beneath_ his skin.

Vash shuddered at the thought, his scales raising a bit with unease.

That _thing_ was still with them.

The green male pushed against the weight atop him, trying his best to raise up just a bit more so he could see better. That was a mistake. A loud creaking noise echoed around him and then he was assaulted by a cloud of bubbles as the wall fell even more into the small space, pressing him harder to the body beneath him. He gasped again as he felt his shoulders give out and he fell on top of Roderich, his right arm being trapped between him and the sand and his ribs aching at the immense pressure now seeking to eradicate all breath from him.

"Vash!" Hearing his sister crying out to him captured his focus, and he could only moan in response, his cheek pressed painfully against the other male's collarbone.

"Vash?" Emma's voice was next to ring out, this time in surprise. "Vash, you're alive!"

 _ **Can't talk now,**_ he sent to Lilli, pleased to hear her relay the message to the older mermaid. His hands sunk into the sand and his arms shook with the strain of keeping the metal from smothering them further. Merfolk had great strength, much greater than that of humans, and that realization only had him certain now that the entire ship must have fallen on them.

"How is—Ah, nevermind, let me just try to get this off of you," Emma called. He could hear more metal grinding against metal to his left, but felt no change.

 _ **You should leave,**_ Vash attempted to plead with his sister mentally, ignoring her surprise at his statement. _**The ship is just going to collapse more.**_

 _ **Not without you.**_

The leopard-tail merman was almost proud of his sister's stubbornness, if the thought of her being crushed to death by an old ship didn't terrify him. More sounds of metal scraping, along with Emma ushering the pups this way and that, carried through the water, muffled by the layers separating them.

The cold skin against his cheek suddenly had him very aware of the absence of a heartbeat he definitely should have been hearing, as well.

 _Roderich . . ._

He grit his teeth to keep in his whimper, slowly allowing his arms to give out. The relief he felt in his muscles was nothing compared to the massive burden now lying atop him. Vash gingerly scooted upwards until his cheek was resting on Roderich's left shoulder, moving his hand to tilt the merman's face to the side to protect it from the enclosing slate of metal falling evermore on top of them. He felt something squeak and shift and a sharp weight fell against the lower half of his tail, effectively immobilizing it and sending pain shooting up the length.

 _How dare you._ Emerald eyes stared at the gentle looking face in front of his, their noses brushing from their closeness. _This is the second time today that you've made me think I am going to die,_ he inwardly scolded the merman, simultaneously meaning and not meaning the heat behind those thoughts.

Vash caught the movement of something on the merman's neck, and he was suddenly very, very angry.

His left hand snapped up to grab at the mark, chasing the dark thing up to Roderich's jawline. Sparks of hot rage filled his vision as he seethed, hissing at the small, unnatural thing as it struggled to evade his grasp. Nothing he did could truly touch the mark, however, short of scratching through frozen skin. He knew now that light mustn't have been him—it _couldn't_ have been, after all, since he was unable to do basic magic—but he wouldn't allow this _thing_ to spend another minute inside the other, corrupting his death, _taking him away from him._

Vash flinched slightly when he heard a hiss answer him as the mark climbed up the male's cheek. It had fizzled inside of Roderich's mouth, tickling the water between them. The green merman glanced to parted grey lips and abandoned his chase for the moment to part them further. He swore he could see something in the dark of his throat.

A resounding _thunk!_ made him snap his gaze to the side. He could still hear Emma trying to call out to him and her brother, to locate where they were stuck. He quickly gave his sister more mental instructions to help, unwilling to waste his shallow breaths on speaking.

He heard a hiss again and his attention was instantly back on the merman pressed against him. The vibrations in the water coming from Roderich's mouth almost mimicked that of a small exhale, if the stillness of his chest and the malignant aura of the feeling didn't betray it. Vash ducked his chin to look further past the other's fangs and dark grey tongue, a shiver running down his spine at the sight of something twitching and glinting in the dull light at the back of his throat.

Glancing across Roderich's face made him realize that the black starburst was no longer on his cheek, or anywhere to be seen for that matter. He quickly looked back into the merman's mouth to make sure the _whatever-it-was_ hadn't moved. It hadn't. It only hissed again.

A chill was seizing his chest—from the metal pinning him, the freezing skin against his, the horror of this new unknown thing seeming to mock him from within Roderich. He could feel a growl rumbling through him and he narrowed his eyes, hot anger chasing away the coldness.

Without giving any warning, Vash swiftly dipped his fingers into the male's mouth. Something familiar, like that slush of the creature from earlier, pressed against his fingertips as he hit the back of the other's throat and he quickly took hold of it. He tried not to think about the sharp fangs digging into his knuckles as he used all of his strength to pull the thing out. There was hardly any resistance, which came as quite the shock when he accidentally smacked his own chin with his forcefulness.

As soon as the object was free from Roderich's throat, however, it began trembling and fizzling like a flame in his fingers and tried to dart out of his hold. He wished very much that he had both hands free as the black ball of gross tendrils nearly escaped his hold. Adjusting his pinky and thumb, he managed to ensnare the thing in his fist and he was just about to squeeze when he heard a voice ripple through the water.

 **wait wait WAIT**

He hated that he hesitated, sucking in a shallow breath as he realized the _thing_ was trying to speak to him. The wiggling stopped and he fully enclosed the dark blotch in his webbed hand now that the resistance was gone.

 **he is not dead**

 **not** **dead**

He didn't dare believe a word. His morbid curiosity, if anything, allowed the voice to continue.

 **but he will die without us**

 **we** **can save him**

Heart pounding, Vash didn't wait another second before crushing the creature in his hand as it screamed. The tendrils crunched like bone in his grasp, and he squeezed as hard as he possibly could. He only relaxed when he felt no more movement, no more cold, and no more oppressive presence. It was finally snuffed out after a few long seconds, and he brought his fist closer to his face, carefully opening his fingers.

In the center of his palm was a single black pearl.

Vash couldn't even bring himself to feel comforted at the victory as he turned his gaze back to the face beside his.

He dropped the pearl into the sand in shock as pink lips and brunette hair greeted him. The color was slowly seeping back into the merman beneath him, and even though he was still pale Roderich was no longer varying shades of white and grey. He was back to his usual colors, cream and caramel, iridescent silver shimmering across the skin at the tops of his ears and across his black lashes.

 _Roderich!_ Vash felt his heart stutter at the sight, immediately flooded with disbelief. He heard another breaking sound through his waves of incredulity and he felt the wall of metal shift slightly atop him. He attempted to take in a deeper breath, astonished he could, and then began to lean up onto the violet merman's chest. The wall leaning on his right side buckled and slid slightly in the sand, but allowed him to move. He tilted Roderich's face back to look at him, holding both his cheeks as he stared down at closed eyes.

Something in the back of his mind lit up, slowly burning and brightening and . . . he thought he felt a _tug._

The chest pressed against his stomach stuttered, and he nearly collapsed again from the dizziness that hit him. The tail under his twitched, and he thought he was going to go mad at the anticipation eating him. He blinked several times, almost not believing what he was seeing or feeling.

It took him a few moments to realize that the merman still wasn't breathing.

Vash stiffened and looked around his arms at the male's unmoving gills, clenching his jaw in panic. _No!_ No, no, no, no—he was _so close!_ The leopard-tailed merman quickly moved one of his hands down to wave water into the other's side, hoping it would help his gills start working, start _breathing._

Nothing.

Vash couldn't help the weak warble that escaped him. He stared down at the _still too still_ male under him, bringing his hand back up to cup the other's cheek again. He tried smacking him lightly to wake him, whispering, "Come on, come on. Wake up."

The eel-like tail curled slightly beneath him and he doubled his efforts, ignoring the way his voice broke on every other word.

"Roderich, hey. _Hey._ Come on, just breathe, okay? You can breathe. That thing is gone now."

 _Nothing._

Vash stopped his movements and words and just stared down at the . . . the _beautiful_ face in his hands. He choked back a scream of frustration as the male didn't react to him, didn't move, didn't breathe, didn't open those gem-colored eyes.

Was he really . . . gone?

His eyes burned with unshed tears, not that they would show underwater, but he still felt their strain and the heartache that accompanied them.

That slight tugging sensation returned to his attention and his gaze dropped to that parted mouth once more.

Swallowing his heart, Vash was unable to stop from pressing his lips to Roderich's own with an anguished cry, letting grief overtake him.

 **...xXx...**

 **S** **ad fish,**

 **Misses fish,**

 **M** **ad fish,**

 **Kisses fish,**

 **Then is sad again. Oops.**


	11. We're Older Now

**REMINDER an index of all the character descriptions exist here:**

 **archiveofourown**

 **.**

 **org**

 **/works/13210260/chapters/30218163**

 **I hope it helps! (freakin links on this website man)**

 **...xXx...**

Staring out at the glittering expanse of coral, Diedrich leaned against a moss-covered column.

The Great Alcazar was as grand as he remembered. It had been several cycles since he'd last been to visit, and yet nothing had changed with the large stone and coral fortress. Despite the fact that it was nighttime, the undersea palace was lit up by hundreds of wisp lanterns hanging on ribbons crisscrossed between the towers, or sat upon the edges of pebbled pathways. Tall spires of carved, twisting coral and granite curled up towards the surface high above them. The tallest spire sat in the middle of a circle of a dozen shorter towers, shining with shades of gold and reds. Rays of sunlight would cast down from the surface and light up the entire acropolis in a plethora of pastels and bright colors. A shimmering, translucent barrier was placed over the whole area, arching above the coral like a dome to keep out any threats.

Diedrich preferred his crystal caves nowadays, but he wouldn't deny his own nostalgic fondness for the Alcazar. After all, he'd helped build it.

The Alcazar was meant as a central safe haven for all their kind, where pods from all over the globe could stay in times of crisis. Alexius and his pod maintained the palace and used it as their permanent home, and the alpha merman made sure to keep an eye on any potential threats to their species so he could send out warnings to the other pods.

Thankfully, both he and Alexius had been able to lead his own family through the gates of the fortress just after the sun had set. The black-tailed merman had been anxious enough leaving behind some of his children in the shipwreck filled trench, and he was mildly relieved to at least insure the rest of his pod was now safe.

Alexius' own family were welcoming enough, and merging them had went a tad smoother than previously with Vash and his sibling. Gilbert and Antonio had reunited quite loudly and enthusiastically, having been close friends since childhood. Gilbert was his eldest son, and thus had lived with him here at the Alcazar until Roderich had been born and they had moved to find their own nest.

 _Too put it simply._

Antonio was Alexius' eldest, as well, and despite not being of the same blood, his wide-finned tail bared a great resemblance with his father's in that it had many decorative fins and spines. Truly the only difference was in color, as his was a dark crimson with lighter red and white splotches. He was nearly as large as Alexius himself, and took to his contagiously cheery personality **—** Diedrich still found it hard to believe they weren't actually related. Seeing Antonio next to his own son, with his sleek silver tail with black stripes down the side, almost an exact inverse of Diedrich himself, definitely only highlighted the oddness of their pairing.

However, Gilbert and Antonio had got along famously as pups, and the two stayed attached at the hip every time they visited the Alcazar.

Diedrich ran a hand over his pelvic fins, smoothing them out as he stared down into an illuminated arena. The ring of stone and steps of coral sat directly in the center of the largest tower, around fifty tail-lengths in diameter, and the space was mostly used as a meeting site for whenever the pods got together.

Now, it was just bustling with the two merged pods as everyone acquainted themselves with their hosts.

Abel had the twins on either side of him as they picked out fish to eat from a nearby granite bowl. On the other side of the bowl was Alexius' second eldest son, Fausto. The male was a year younger than Antonio, paler red in color with darker red and white splotches, and had more spines than fins. He and Abel were chatting casually, and then the red merman smiled easily as he began telling some exciting story to Bazil and Evicka. The twins looked riveted, almost forgetting to eat their dinner as Abel nudged them closer.

Gilbert was introducing Elizabeta to Antonio as his mate across the way, and the mermaid was currently being berated by enthusiastic congratulations and questions. Diedrich gave a small smile at the sight, crossing his arms as he leaned more against the column. Elizabeta had been a welcome addition to his pod, and when it was revealed that she and his eldest turned out to be soulmates just last cycle, he was even happier. The mermaid was a strong fighter, had a quick wit, and could easily keep Gilbert in line when his mischievousness got too out of hand.

So yes, he was indeed glad that circumstances allowed him to find her and bring her home. _Hard to believe that was only three cycles ago,_ he thought, tucking a hair behind his ear. He thought back to his littlest boy, Killian, and tensed up. _So much has happened since then._

Diedrich combed over the bonds connecting him to his three children resting back at the shipyard, not for the first time that evening. He was pleased to sense that they were peaceful and safe, probably sleeping now at the late hour. He was glad that Roderich had insisted on having Emma stay with them—not only to help heal Vash, as he surely didn't wish any more pain on the young merman, but to help protect them should anything happen. The mermaid specialized in healing and protection magic, and was more than capable in a fight. He knew Roderich, too, could fight, but it seemed his son was at quite the peculiar disadvantage, considering the situation.

All in all, they should be safe enough as long as they stayed inside the old shipwreck and didn't surface until morning.

 _I hope they stay hidden from its eyes._

Diedrich shook away his dark thoughts and let himself look over the rest of his family. Most were chatting with a few of the others or sharing a meal. He spied Ludwig hanging back on the outskirts of the arena, looking warily over the crowd of merfolk. Despite him trying to look stoic, he knew the younger merman was pretty hesitant around strangers.

The black-tailed male pitched his voice low and whistled, calling him over.

Ludwig looked relieved for something to do and quickly swam up to where the older merman was perched on the top of the arena. "Yes?"

Diedrich pushed himself off the column and leaned over the edge of the coliseum, pointing down at the menagerie of flashing tails. "Have you talked to any of the others yet?" His son blanched and looked away, holding his midsection as his shoulders hunched up. He chuckled a bit at the pout; his son looking like a dejected pup. He grabbed his hand firmly and dipped down over the edge, pulling him along. "Come on. I'll introduce you."

He felt Ludwig tense up even more, but when he glanced over his shoulder he saw a look of determination on his son's face that caused a stab of pride in his heart.

The larger male lead his son down until they were coming up beside Elizabeta. The mermaid looked over at him, seemingly grateful for his interruption. He just pulled Ludwig up between them and nodded at the flashy red merman opposite them. "Ludwig, I hope you at least remember Antonio here."

The silver-blue male hummed and met the other's olive gaze. "No."

"No?" Antonio covered his heart and gasped in mock horror. He fell to the side through the water as if he were fainting. "How cruel! I've known you since you were born."

Ludwig just shrugged. "Gil talks about you, but I don't remember anything."

"Don't worry, Toni!" Gilbert barked a laugh, patting his friend on the back as he helped him stay upright. "We can take Lutz out for a hunt tomorrow and tell him some stories of you pupsitting for him."

Ludwig attempted to protest but his voice went unheard as Antonio piped up happily, looking rejuvenated from his despair. The two friends proceeded to fall into a discussion about what areas to show him and which fish would be the most fun to chase.

Diedrich sent a pitying look to his younger son and began to usher him away for more introductions, but Elizabeta caught his eye. She flicked her gaze back and forth between him and Gilbert, mouthing the words, **_Take me with you._** He dipped his head, and the trio quickly parted from the excitable pair.

He raked his eyes over the expanse of the arena, spotting Klaus alone across the way talking with two of the Alcazar pod. His son looked a bit intimidated, so he decided to lead Ludwig and Elizabeta over to defuse anything that might have been happening. As they approached, two more younger merboys crept up on Klaus out of the darkness of the steps, sharing grins with each other.

Diedrich slowed to a stop and held out his hand to halt Ludwig, who seemed ready to stop the sneak attack, and tilted his head at the small group. "Just watch."

The two merboys slunk through the dark crevice until they were close enough to touch his younger son, and they sent smiles to the other two who were keeping him distracted. Klaus had a naturally nervous disposition around others, and so he backed away from the young merman and mermaid in front of him who were chatting away animatedly, waving their arms and fins. As soon as his back touched the carved granite step Klaus instantly perked up. A second went by and the two merboys lunged out to try and grab him, but the teen quickly twisted to the side and the two barreled into their siblings, all four of them falling into the sand with squeaks of surprise.

Diedrich decided to swim over then, chuckling lightly as Klaus noticed his approach and beamed at him. He ruffled his sandy brown hair and looked over towards the other younglings, settling his focus on the largest one. "Beppe, aren't you a little old to be playing with these tricksters?"

The older male grinned and rolled out from under his siblings to float upright once more. He shook out his bright orange tail, the red stripes and spines flickering in the light from a nearby lantern. He gestured behind him at the pile of pups still disentangling themselves from each other.

"Just having a bit of fun," he snickered, smiling now back at Klaus. "Didn't mean anything by it."

"Of course." Diedrich glanced at Klaus as he came up beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. "I see you've already met Klaus, here. This is Elizabeta, Gilbert's mate, and Ludwig, who's around your age now that I think about it."

Beppe's green irises glinted excitedly and he twirled around in a circle. "Eh, really? Has he met Feli and Lovi yet?"

At Ludwig's quiet, _"No,"_ the bright orange male grabbed his arm and dragged him upwards, chattering away excitedly about his brothers. Ludwig tried sending pleading looks at his father for help, but the black-tailed merman just waved him away to go have fun. He could introduce him to the rest of the pod later, since it was important for his son to bridge out with others his own age.

Elizabeta nudged him and Diedrich looked at the triplets now sitting up on the sand, eyeing him timidly. He gazed over their wide pelvic and tailfins, and as they pushed off the sand to straighten up their long spinal fins arched high away from their chubby tails. One of the merboys had light brown hair with blue-green eyes, and the other two were blonde with blue eyes.

The last time he had seen these three was several cycles ago when they had all been smaller newborns curled around each other, hardly distinguishable from one another. He remembered the names Alexius had chosen for them, but not who they belonged to aside from the mermaid.

He decided to start there, reaching out a hand towards the little one. "Adora?"

Teal eyes blinked at him in surprise and she squeaked, automatically grabbing his hand with her two smaller ones. "You know my name?"

"Yes, I remember you three," he said, giving her hands a gentle squeeze. He looked at her brothers. "Livio, Marcello. I was here when you were born."

Judging by how they reacted, he determined that the brown haired merboy was Livio, and the blonde Marcello. Each of their tails matched in shape and size, but differed slightly in color. Adora's scales were turquoise with teal stripes and tiny white speckles, and her aqua-colored and white webbed hands stood out vibrantly against his larger ebony colored one. Livio was a lighter blue shade with pale green stripes and similar white spots, his blue-green tint matching that of his eyes. Marcello stood out the most from the other two; his tail, hands, and eyes were a much darker blue, and his fins and webbing were a bright white against the navy that matched the light speckling he had down his flank.

They were only about half as old as Klaus, and they closely matched him in color—his own son's dirty white tail had blue tiger stripes down the spine and spotted across his fins. The triplets were more close in age to Bazil and Evicka, though, and he debated whether or not to call them over.

The three now looked much more relaxed than they had a moment ago, looking him up and down. Adora still held onto his hand, tugging it this way and that as she eyed him and Elizabeta. "Who are you?"

"I'm Klaus' father, Diedrich." The black-tailed merman urged the teen out from behind him, tenderly pushing him towards the three. Klaus stiffened as Adora moved her attention to him, running her hands through his hair and over his scales. He flinched away when Livio popped up to join her, asking why he didn't have bigger fins like them.

Diedrich huffed a small laugh at his son's expression, Elizabeta giggling beside him. The older mermaid decided to help Klaus out and lifted away Adora by the waist, twirling her around until she was laughing. "Look how beautiful you three are!" she cooed, picking up Livio next as she inspected him with a twirl. "I've never seen such radiant shades of blue before."

Klaus looked at her with relief and snuck beside his father's hip once more. He didn't push him away again.

"You know papa?" Marcello asked quietly, hanging back farther than his siblings. Diedrich watched as Elizabeta spun around and picked up the darker blue pup with ease, not wanting him to feel left out, and soon he was giggling along with his brother and sister.

"Yes, I grew up with him," he still answered diligently, unable to help his small smile as the mermaid easily swayed the triplets over to her side.

As if on cue, he felt a buzzing in his mind and a shift in the water. He looked directly above them to see Alexius in all his golden glory descending upon them with another youngster hanging off his neck.

He thought he felt a thread of unease echo through his thoughts, but decided to ignore it for the moment.

The grandiose alpha chirped an enthusiastic greeting to them, nuzzling his cheek against Diedrich's and grinning when the male swatted him away.

Alexius settled easily beside him and Klaus, watching as his three pups tackled Elizabeta into the sand in a mock attack. "How's everybody getting along?"

"Fine so far," Diedrich muttered, rolling his eyes as the other tucked a strand of his long blonde hair behind his ear for him.

"Good! I'm glad there's been no fighting." Alexius' smile softened as he carefully took the youngling off of his back, untangling his arms from around his neck. "My new girls are sleeping right now, so I'd hate it if they were woken up by shouting."

 _New girls?_ Alexius spied his surprised look and winked at him. "I'll show you my little pearls later."

Diedrich was about to protest when his attention caught on the youth now floating in front of the golden alpha. He swiftly recognized him as the sweet Stefano, and he was beyond pleased to see how much he'd grown. The smaller teen leaned upright against his father's chest, eyes cast downward. His chest, tail, and hair were a stark white, and his fins were soft and round, his tailfin quite large and flowy for his size. A sparse smattering of black spots ate at the edges of his tail, pelvic, and pectoral fins, leaving his body still mostly white. He had a rare ink spot over his left eye, standing out sharply against his paler than pale skin and scales.

Alexius ruffled his son's hair and tilted his chin up. "Your favorite visitor is here, Stef."

The adolescent blinked his icy blue eyes, milky with blindness, and gave a shy peep of excitement. "Vati?"

"Hello, young one." Diedrich felt himself melting, slightly peeved that Alexius knew this weak spot of his. However, he couldn't help the gentle purr that started up in his throat as the merboy reached out to him, and he easily took him into his arms. He pressed a soft kiss to the youngling's cheek. "You've gotten so _big,_ I can hardly believe it."

"I have?" Stefano chirped, leaning back to vaguely look at him with those intense blue eyes of his. "I don't feel like it."

"Well you have." Diedrich glanced down to see Klaus looking at him quizzically, and he smirked at the jealous look he was giving the pale merboy.

He and Alexius had found Klaus and Stefano on the same day, in separate locations. Humans had been spotted fishing nearby for merfolk and disrupted nearly two whole pods before they could intervene. That's when he'd found Emma and Abel, and they had been younger than Bazil and Evicka were now, left orphaned after the attack. They kept them there in the Alcazar while the two alphas continued to search for survivors. They'd found Klaus hidden among some small rock formations, and Stefano curled up under some bleached coral. The two weren't siblings, so Diedrich decided to take his three pups home while Alexius kept Stefano for his own, both deciding that it would be safer for the blind youngling at the Alcazar anyways.

He didn't regret the decision, even if the blonde male had a severe fondness for the spotted pup, and was happy enough to see that both Klaus and Stefano were now only a few cycles away from adulthood.

Klaus tugged a bit on the teen's tailfin, causing him to squeak and look around. Diedrich gave his son a _look,_ but Klaus was just staring over at the other youngster curiously.

Diedrich lowered Stefano in his arms, turning him towards his son. "In fact, you're as big as Klaus here. You two are the same age."

"Really?" The white youngling reached out cautiously, jumping slightly when Klaus grabbed his hand.

The white-blue tailed teen looked between Diedrich and Alexius as he let the other feel up his arm and shoulder, both hands now coming to rest on either side of his neck. He looked pointedly at the other youngling now, studying his eyes.

Diedrich sent him a quick mental note, **_He can't see._**

 ** _Oh._** Klaus raised his eyebrows, eyes wide in understanding.

"H-Hi," Stefano stammered bashfully, ducking his head.

"Hi," Klaus chipped, unsure what to do with someone more reserved than him.

"Can I . . . um?" Stefano tapped his cheeks lightly, flicking his white tailfin up against the merboy's blue striped one. Klaus just nodded and allowed the other to feel up his face, cheeks burning bright red at the curious treatment.

Alexius laughed beside him, leaning against Diedrich's shoulder. "No need to be so embarrassed, Klaus. Stef is just gettin' a feel for ya!"

"I got that," the juvenile huffed, closing his right eye as Stefano slowly thumbed over it. "I don't mind," he added quietly. His blush, however, darkened when the pale teen pressed the length of his tailfin against his own, sizing him up carefully.

"He's still bigger than I am," Stefano commented simply, turning his head to look the general direction that the two alphas were.

Klaus piped up quickly, spinal fin raising up frantically. "Ah, um, it's only a little bit longer. Your tailfin is wider than mine, though."

"Yeah?" Stefano looked back to him, smiling.

"Yeah, way wider!"

Diedrich watched the two teens affectionately as they got over their collective shyness and began eagerly talking with one another. He felt Alexius pull one of his pelvic fins, and the two of them floated a few meters away to watch over their combined families. It was surprisingly comforting to see all of them getting along, swimming and chatting and eating with one another. The black-tailed male didn't foresee how delighted it would make him feel to see both pods fully meeting each other for the first time. Usually, whenever he ventured to the Great Alcazar he would only bring Gilbert with him, and sometimes Roderich, though the violet male tended to prefer to stay home.

His thoughts returned to his missing children, his mood falling. Feeling over their bonds, he could sense . . .

Diedrich stiffened. His instincts kicked in and he instantly dashed out of a nearby window cut into the coral, ignoring the surprised yelps behind him. His heart rate sped up and he forced his tail to kick faster, propelling him hastily through the lantern filled acropolis. The sparking in the back of his mind urged him on, faster and faster, as he swam towards the barrier.

Emma was screaming for him. Desperate, unspoken pleas racking through his skull along the line of their bond. His littlest one, Killian, was nothing but a tightly constricted ball of distress, too frightened to reach out. Roderich was—

Diedrich stopped cold at the edge of the barrier, blood spiking with horror.

He could no longer sense his son.

"Diedrich! Aye, slow down, will ya?" Alexius called out to him, weaving around a coral tree to stop beside him. The golden merman fixed him with a confused look, shaking out his ruffled tail. "What the hell are you doing?"

The blonde merman just stared blindly out at the dark sea in front of him. He clutched his hands together, mind churning desperately for a coherent thought.

"Hey." Alexius grabbed his shoulder, gently paddling in front of him to catch his gaze. _"Hey, asha."_ He forced himself to meet softening auburn eyes, unable to help his trembling body. "Tell me what happened."

"My _son_ —" Diedrich couldn't even bring himself to be angry at his voice break, and he grabbed desperately at the merman before him. "I-I can't sense him anymore. Alexius, I _can't—"_

The golden male tensed up, eyes narrowing as he glanced over his shoulder. Diedrich could no longer keep himself upright, slumping forward into the other's embrace as a cry escaped him. He _shouldn't_ have left them, he _shouldn't have!_ Of course this would happen that night, of _course._ That's exactly what he'd been _trying_ to avoid by rushing his family to safety. He squeezed his eyes closed, trying desperately to reach out to his children.

Emma had stopped calling for him now, but was still wrapped up in as much fear and dismay as her sibling. Killian was louder now, incoherently calling out across all their bonds. And Roderich . . .

A sharp, choking pain suddenly pierced his heart and seized his lungs. Diedrich doubled over, vision blurring as he gasped. All at once his strength was leaving him, and the bracing cold of nothingness was spilling into his veins. Alexius ducked down and held him by his shoulders, worried voice dull to his ears.

"Diedrich! Are you alright? What is—" The blonde cut him off, forcing his chin up to meet warm brown eyes.

"It has Roderich," he croaked out. "Alex, _it has him._ M-My _baby,_ it— ** _It_** has them all. _Oh, Alex, my babies—!"_

Golden tail fanning out in fury, the brunette lifted him up from the sand and held him close. Fingers danced through his hair, and Alexius embraced him tightly as he growled into his ear and heart, **_"I'll go."_**

Diedrich slumped weakly against a cool granite rock as the other alpha released him, before his glittering fins flashed brightly and he was gone.

 **...xXx...**

 _ **Antonio - Spain**_  
 _ **Fausto - Portugal**_  
 _ **Beppe - Seborga**_  
 _ **Adora - Andorra**_  
 _ **Marcello - Malta**_  
 _ **Livio - San Marino**_  
 _ **Stefano - Vatican City**_

 **D** **on't worry, I'm dying inside at all the characters with you guys... (and there's even more to come, believe it or not *sweats*)**

 **Most of the main pods for this fic have been introduced finally, yay~!**


	12. Do You Still Think About Me

**Ahhh, the one you've all been waiting for. I think.**

 **...xXx...**

Roderich slowly opened his eyes.

Everything around him was cold and aphotic. Nothing but an expanse of nebulous waters surrounded him. There wasn't even a seafloor beneath him, or above him for that matter. He had no idea which way he was oriented in the thick pitch-dark.

 _How did I get here?_

His thoughts rang out all around him throughout the darkness, sound bouncing off of unseen obstacles in all directions before fading away to silence. Roderich felt himself jump a second after he actually moved, as if he were detached from his own body.

Taking a steadying breath, he picked a direction and started swimming. The pace was sluggish, almost too brutally slow. A few moments went by and it didn't feel like he had gotten anywhere; he even glanced down at himself to make sure that his tail was, indeed, moving. The brunette gave up after a few minutes of fruitlessness, stopping and gritting his teeth in frustration.

 _This isn't working._ Roderich sighed, smoothing down his pelvic fins to stave off the worry rising in him. He couldn't for the life of him remember how he'd gotten to this black hole of an area. Where were the others? Hadn't they been in the ship? Emma and Killian? Vash and Lilli?

 **Vash . . .**

A creeping, frigid hand slid up his spine, fingers of ice blooming outward along his vertebrae and ribs to wrap around his torso. His limbs locked up on him and he couldn't move—whether it was from the freezing cold or from fear, he didn't know. Hackles rising, the hand curled around the base of his neck, sharp fingertips digging into the skin on either side of his throat.

Roderich shut his eyes and bit the inside of his cheek to keep from whimpering aloud. He shuddered in a breath, deep in his throat.

Then a ray of luminescence blossomed in front of his nose, swamping the entire front of him in warmth and chased back the cloying chill. The fingers retreated from his neck and he could feel his muscles relaxing. The violet merman peeked open his eyes, hissing and squinting in surprise at the swath of light floating before him. Waves of calming radiance washed over him, and the brunette felt his heart settle into an easy rhythm.

 _ **Come on, come on.**_

Soothing sound vibrations tickled the water, instantly sedating the rest of his nerves.

Roderich didn't know why the ball of light beckoned him or why he followed, but anything was better than the cold _otherness._

Unsure of how long he had been swimming, the golden light finally came to a stop. Not much had changed, except that now little flecks of grey light floated in the murky waters all around him, like bits of algae or plankton. Roderich brought his hands through the thick clouds of specks to cup the glowing ball. He couldn't quite touch the orb, but he could just feel soft curls of heat and compassion licking across his palms.

The light began to brighten considerably, growing and growing in size until he could no longer keep his eyes open against the lustrous blaze. He could feel the gentle tendrils of warmth encompassing his face, tickling his nose and heating up his cheeks. His mind buzzed with noisy heat and static, and a waterfall of indistinguishable thoughts. His lips burned extra hot, and his entire being _shook._

 _ **Breathe.**_

 **...xXx...**

Roderich snapped his eyes open.

Breath flooded back into his lungs and he gasped, blinking wildly as the brightness faded from his vision. He came face to face with blonde strands of hair cascading over him, and wide, rich green eyes. He felt the heat against his lips disappear as the face those eyes belonged to pulled away from him.

 _"Wha—!"_

The brunette took in the astonished look on Vash's face, heartrate speeding up at the sight. He could feel the length of the other merman laid all down him, from the jade arms on his chest to the tip of a spotted tail resting atop his own. It was slightly hard to take in a full breath—surely the leopard-tailed male didn't weigh _that_ much, right?

His gaze flicked to the dark slabs of metal above and crumpled in a sharp, rusty mess all around them, mind gradually connecting the dots.

"Ah . . ." Roderich looked back up to the other male, clearing his throat. "Come here often?"

Vash shrieked, his hands slamming against Roderich's chest as he scrambled to get away. Not that he could go anywhere. Roderich gave a yelp of pain as the frantic merman hit him, bringing up his arms in a placating manner.

"Vash, what are—"

The blonde hit the back of his head against the metal above them and hissed, ducking down and stilling. Several tense moments passed as Vash squeezed his eyes closed, shaking his head.

"You," the spotted male began, speaking through his teeth. "You, _you_ should be _dead."_

"What?" Roderich laid there for a moment, eyebrows raised in disbelief. _What is he talking about? That's ridiculous._ A puff of laughter escaped him, causing the blonde to open his eyes and glare at him. _"Excuse_ me?"

Vash rested his clenched fists on the violet male's shoulders, settling down from his outburst. The brunette was beyond confused at the merman's words. _Dead?_ There's no way that was possible. He was completely fine, breathing even. Though, it was still hard to get a full breath with the weight of the merman and the pile of metal on top of him.

However, seeing the mixed emotions morphing that darling face above his threaded a strand of doubt through his thoughts. Emerald eyes were stricken with distress, and the blonde was biting his lip as if he were holding back a cry. He didn't remember how they'd gotten there. The last thing he remembered was that they had been sleeping, and then something had woken them up. Yes? _Yes._ There was some sort of creature outside, and they had been hiding, and then . . . That was all he could recall.

 _Terrifying_ doubt. Roderich could feel the other's chest stutter in a breath against his own, and it made his heart throb.

There was something else, too, in the back of his mind that just _burned._

Vash shook his head then, blinking rapidly. He sucked in another quivering breath as he focused back on the violet male. "You weren't breathing. Y-You were—I could have _sworn_ you weren't . . ."

"Okay, okay," Roderich soothed, laying his hands on the other male's waist. The violet merman eyed the surrounding enclosure nervously, adjusting his tail slightly. One of the slabs groaned at the added support underneath, but it allowed his companion to move his spotted tail away from the sharp ceiling. Vash relaxed more, the metal creaking above him as he did so, and his expression showed relief.

It didn't look like they were going anywhere any time soon, and he _definitely_ didn't remember how they got stuck under a broken ship. Roderich wiggled slightly to try and get more comfortable under the weight, but stopped when Vash hissed. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea.

"So, are you going to tell me what happened?" The eel-tailed male went still and sighed. He decided he was finally ready to hear the answer to this conundrum, and met green irises head on with a smirk. "Or are we just going to lay here? Not that I mind being under you, but I could do without the ship crushing us."

It was worth teasing just to see the viridian male's cheeks alight a pretty pink. Vash ducked his head to lean against Roderich's chest, hiding his face from view.

 _ **Such an i**_ _ **diot.**_

"No need to be so blunt," Roderich huffed and rolled his eyes, squinting at the beam above him. "I was only joking."

"What are you talking about?" Vash lifted his head slowly, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I didn't say anything."

The two of them stared at one another for several long moments.

Roderich felt his heartbeat pick up again. Had—Had he heard . . ? There was no way. They couldn't have—They couldn't have _bonded_ already. There was _no_ way. He blinked, and decided to test the waters, sending out a tentative thought, _**Vash?**_

Said leopard-tailed merman startled and looked him up and down. He shook his head, blonde hair swishing back and forth. "This isn't happening."

 _ **Apparently, it is,**_ Roderich quipped, finding little joy in the other male's blush this time. He was totally on board with the shock at this new development. It took weeks of careful association for two merfolk to bond close enough to connect on an intimate level. There was only really one reason they could already be connected, but how—

"Vash! Are you still there?"

Both turned to look where the voice was coming from. Though muffled, Roderich perked up at hearing his sister, pushing back his thoughts on their utter confusing situation.

"I'm here," said the blonde. "Your brother is awake now."

"Roddy!" Emma chirped, and he could hear Killian bubbling with excitement through the walls separating them. He could feel both of them nipping at the back of his mind, and he did his best to calm them down.

"I'm alright." **_I am._**

 ** _Good, good, good._**

Emma cleared her throat and tapped against the metal, causing the sound to ring out through their small space. "I can't really move this by myself, it's too heavy."

"Okay, give me a second." Vash adjusted himself so his hands were now braced on either side of the brunette's head and he began to push himself up.

There was a creaking sound from much farther above them, and then one off to the side as Emma joined him in trying to move the large metal slab. Roderich felt relief throughout his chest as he was able to breathe in deeply again.

The green male glanced over his shoulder as he adjusted his tail some more, wincing a bit. He turned back and opened his mouth to speak, but a loud crash cut him off. Both mermen flinched at the sharp noise, and Roderich rumbled in his throat apprehensively as the sheets above them began to slant downwards. Vash inhaled sharply and bit back a groan as the jagged metal pressed into his hip wound.

The violet male quickly lifted his hands and pushed back against the falling steel.

"Watch it!" he snapped, muscles stinging at holding up the sudden heavy weight. The male on top of him slumped, lower half sliding down the eel-tailed merman's side and into the sand. Roderich tried scooting further right so the other had more room between him and the rusty wall.

Emma just apologized and stopped moving. The violet male resigned himself to holding up the slab while his companion recovered. He glanced to see that the gashes above the blonde's left elbow had reopened slightly, and his heart sped up at the sight. _Right._ The green male was still injured. Really, just _how_ had he lasted this long holding back the crushing metal was a complete mystery to the brunette.

 _He's so strong._

Roderich locked his arms in determination and gave a soft rumble in his throat for the other. _**You rest now.**_

 _ **Stop talking to me like this.**_ He could practically feel Vash's eye roll against his skin as the blonde buried his face into the crook between his neck and shoulder. Perhaps, under different, more safe circumstances, he would enjoy the merman being this close to him.

Perhaps he enjoyed it anyways.

 ** _Well,_** he began a bit cheekily, _**this is more convenient.**_

 _ **I didn't give you permission to be in my head.**_

 _ **That goes both ways, darling.**_

 _ **Stop calling me that.**_ Vash even growled for extra emphasis.

Roderich felt his heart flutter, and he bit his cheek to stop from smiling. His thoughts suddenly flashed back to when he'd first woken up and the heat he'd felt on his lips. The thought made him blush.

"So," he began carefully, "Were you trying to help me breathe, or . . ?"

Vash lifted his gaze to stare at him curiously. "What do you mean?"

His mind sent the image of the spotted male pulling away from him, lips still warm. The blonde stiffened and ducked his head once more, the tips of his ears a bright red.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the merman grumbled quietly, words muffled.

Roderich cleared his throat, adjusting his arms a little.

 _ **Because it kind of felt like you were kissing me.**_

Vash sat up again, this time with an exasperated cry. "You were dead!"

"Even weirder timing, then."

"Why you—!" The merman looked ready to smack him, claws digging into his shoulder slightly. Roderich winced a bit under the stare. "You were dead. _Dead!_ Grey, and still, and gone. And there was a piece of that—that _thing_ inside of you!"

The violet merman was about to ask what he meant, but a jade hand dipped into the sand beside his ear and swiftly pulled back for him to see the object held in his fingers.

A small, black pearl. It wasn't glossy or smooth—in fact, it looked like the merman was holding a tiny marble of void. He'd never seen the pearl before, and yet as soon as he laid eyes on it Roderich flinched away, and involuntary hiss bubbling out from him.

 _Fingers of ice taking hold of his entire being, making him shudder and choke on the fear lodged in his throat._

". . . Roderich?"

His blood pounding in his ears, the brunette couldn't tear his gaze away from the object. He couldn't bring himself to say anything, even though he wanted to. _Why_ was his heart beating this fast? What _was_ that thing? Had it _really_ been _inside_ of him?!

Vash just closed his fingers around the pearl, and the control it had over him disappeared. Roderich let out a breath, panting slightly as his arms shook to hold the metal above them steady. Resting his head back, he did his best to get a grip on himself. He felt the other male staring at him, but couldn't be bothered to care in that moment as his doubt and dread took over.

 _So, it must be true then,_ he thought, with a bit of diffidence. _Why would he lie?_ Roderich tiled his chin back down so he could look at the blonde. He didn't mean for his voice to be as quiet as it was. "I was dead, wasn't I?"

"Yes."

"Well." The violet male cleared his throat, and he heard his sister adjusting the metal again. "That's . . . unfortunate." He dropped his voice lower again so she wouldn't overhear him, and he met the leopard-tailed merman's gentle green gaze. "That's three times you've saved me now."

"That's because you seem to be a danger magnet." The blonde clucked his tongue, pursing his lips as he raised an eyebrow. "What was the third time?"

"It was the first," Roderich murmured. "When you let me swim with you."

Vash straightened up his shoulders and glanced away, a blush beginning to creep across his skin. "Yeah, well, whatever luck you live by, let's just hope it lasts long enough for us to get out of here, huh?"

There was a long, metallic groan, and Roderich could feel the metal being lifted upward out of his palms. They could hear Emma and the two pups trilling in relief and excitement, his mind buzzing with their thoughts of surprise. He shared a glance with Vash, and the both of them quickly proceeded to push against the metal to help raise it up. The slab was soon out of their reach, and the broken piece on Roderich's left fell flat onto the sand.

A bright, harsh light began seeping through the cracks in between the crumpled walls, causing them both to squint. Roderich sat up, holding the spotted merman around the waist as the blonde turned around, and they watched in awe as the whole giant slab of metal lifted up through the water. The piece was around half a dozen tail lengths long, and most definitely weighed several tons, and yet it was being lifted like it was a pesky pebble.

Roderich brought up his hand to try and block some of the light as it increased in intensity. _What now?_

The metal was all at once tossed to the side, loudly crashing off somewhere in the distance, and the two mermen took a much needed breath of free waters. The light was still bright, but no longer hard to look at, and they both stared in stunned silence at the merman floating in the center of that light.

 _How the—_

Alexius dipped down, fins splaying out in a glorious display of shimmering gold, and reached out an arm to them. The alpha purled in delight, radiating pure relief through the waters, and his voice rippled out like a balm, "Let's get you all home, yes?"

Roderich looked to the equally stunned companion in his arms, meeting his glowing green glance. The shock running through him made way for the warmth of happy disbelief, and an easement swamped him now that they were safe. He pressed his forehead to the other's for a brief moment, and then bent down to nuzzle his cheek.

"I don't know, Vash. It seems like _you_ might be my lucky charm."

A beat of silence.

 ** _Idiot._**

 **...xXx...**

 **Hey Vash . . . live up to the smooch, ya silly.**

 **And _of course_ Roderich is okay! I can't write fishy fluff between these two without him.**


	13. I Remember We Learned About Love

**Diedrich realizes he may have made a mistake, even as the rest of his family arrives safely at the Grand Alcazar.**

 **x**

 **Of course I'm going to update this story in MerMay! Enjoy, lovelies~**

 **...xXx...**

Body having long since gone numb, Diedrich felt nothing except the occasional spasm of pain that rocked through his muscles.

He hadn't moved since Alexius left him. He laid across the sand and a sloped chunk of granite that, thankfully, allowed him to sit up. The light of the nearby wisp lanterns radiated behind him, leaving the expanse of ocean on the other side of the translucent barrier completely black.

Taking slow, labored breaths, the alpha male felt another aftershock shudder through the length of his tail. He knew it wasn't wise to extend his magic as far as he did, but he couldn't hardly care less.

All he cared about was the lively flicker of flame that had rekindled in the back of his mind.

 _Roderich._

Diedrich had nearly wept with relief when he felt the sensation of life spark from his son, slumping onto the rock beneath him. The blond male had caused quite a bit of alarm ever since he'd rushed out of the common area in a panic, and had barely enough energy left to keep all of the questions and worries flooding his mind at bay. It helped that Gilbert had soon caught up to him right after Alexius had took off, and his son dutifully kept everyone calm and in the main tower while Diedrich watched for the others' return.

The thoughts running through his mind as he rested his head on his arm mostly consisted of, _He's alive, thank the Fates. My baby's alive. They're all alive._

Well, _his children_ , at the least. He had no idea if Vash and his sister were alive and well, but the male sincerely hoped so.

 _We've lost too many to that fiend already._

Diedrich's body quaked again and his vision blurred at the hot intensity of pain that rocked through him. The back of his neck burned like fire. Alexius was going to have a fit when he returned. He still didn't regret using up all his magic. No, not regret. The alpha merman had felt the satisfying impact his shockwave made against the creature; after it travelled for just over a minute through the chilled ocean water and slammed into the dark mass to _get it away at all cost._

If the strain was too much on him from his combined magic loss and connection to Roderich when he—

Well, that didn't matter in the slightest.

When turquoise eyes managed to refocus themselves, the black-tailed male spied a bright light in the distance. The light blinked, gone, and then danced back into existence closer and brighter. The luminous orb repeated the action several times before reappearing for good in a brilliant spark just inside the barrier. The glowing dimmed to reveal Alexius floating before him a few meters away, arms full of younglings.

Diedrich pushed himself up onto his elbows, ignoring the stab in his side. _**"Alexius!"**_

The golden merman swam over to him, the halo of light around him dulling to just a faint shine outlining his body. High pitched chirps sounded from the male's arms and he opened them to allow the two pups freedom.

Diedrich's heart soared as his little Killian wiggled over to him with a small _cheep!_ He immediately wrapped his arms around the merboy, holding him tightly to his chest and petting down his pale, mousy hair.

"You're safe," he whispered, calming the shaking pup's babbling. "Oh, little one, you're safe, now." The male glanced over to the other juvenile, Lilli, and held his arm out to her. The young mermaid seemed hesitant at first, but soon paddled over to him, and he made sure to hold her close. "You're both safe here."

 _"Vati!"_ Diedrich looked up at the voice of his daughter, and saw Emma climbing off of Alexius' back. He barely had a chance to react to the third pair of arms wrapping around him when the golden merman met his gaze, smiled, and then vanished in a dazzling flash.

 _That fool._

"We wanted the pups brought back first," Emma was saying, her tawny tail trembling against his. "I said he should go, too, that I could wait, but—"

"Everything's all right now," he forced out, tearing his eyes away from the spot the male had been just seconds before to look into the gleaming green eyes of his daughter as she pulled away. "Tell me what happened."

Killian buried himself under Diedrich's chin, little fingers knotting into the blond hair laying over his shoulder. Lilli settled on the rock just in front of him, close enough so he could keep his arm around her, and she even rested her cheek in the crook of his elbow. Emma floated over them and spoke quietly as she recounted to him everything that had gone on since the group split up. How her and Roderich had managed to heal Vash of his bleeding, how she'd placed protective spells around their little hideout, how that _thing_ had gotten Roderich . . .

How Vash had saved his son.

Diedrich felt his heart drop through the seafloor.

"He what?" the male grunted, eyes wide in disbelief.

"I don't know," Emma mumbled, petting down Lilli's hair as the youngling kept watch through the barrier. "He just sort of lunged at the thing, grabbed Rod, and started lashing out. I stayed in front of the pups and—I couldn't . . . I—" The mermaid bit her lip and looked away, crossing her arms. Her voice came out quiet, choked. "I'm so sorry, Vati. When I saw th-that thing take him, I-I was just so _scared,_ that I—!"

"Emma."

"B-But I thought it had _killed_ —"

"Shh." Diedrich reached out and pet the mermaid's cheek, then her hair, rumbling soothingly deep in his throat. "My dear child, you've done nothing wrong. Nothing at all. You protected Lilli here, and Ki." **_And Roderich is all right, now._**

 ** _I couldn't sense him, Vati,_** Emma urged inwardly, on behalf of the pups. Her grass-colored eyes were rimmed red. **_It was really freaky! One moment he was there, and then the next it was like he didn't_ exist _anymore!_**

Diedrich knew exactly what the mermaid was talking about, and he swallowed the thickness in his throat. **_I felt it, too,_** he assured. _**I know.**_ He tucked the left side of her dark yellow hair behind her ear. _**But he's with us in the end.**_

Emma still looked disheartened, but nodded as she wiped at her eyes. "Anyway," she hiccupped, sounding much younger than she was, "Vash saved Roddy, so it doesn't even matter." The mermaid puffed a tiny chuckle and gave a wry smile. "Abel will _have_ to forgive him now."

"Brother is very brave," Lilli murmured quietly, glancing up at the older mermaid. Diedrich hummed in agreement and pet the little one's cheek.

Killian burbled something against his neck that sounded like a sleepy, "'s scary," and the three of them snickered at that.

"I will have to thank him," Diedrich went on, resolute. His gaze returned to unguarded waters. _With all my heart._

Time bled slowly for the next while, and the small group settled comfortably on the rock together. The alpha had tried to get his daughter to take the younglings and go get some rest with the others further in the Alcazar, but all three refused. Lilli was intent on waiting for her brother with him, and Killian had snuggled firmly between them, turned over and mock braiding the young mermaid's hair. Emma laid behind him, propped up on her elbows as she lightly healed some cuts and scrapes on her hands that she had gotten from the metal ship. The merman felt guilty for that, seeing as it was more than likely his fault that the ship had collapsed.

Diedrich rested his temple against the granite, trying to hide next draining shudder that ran through him. His gaze stayed fixed on a point in the distant dark, his mind sluggish yet insistent. _Where are you, where are you? Where?_

Then, even though he hadn't projected his thoughts, in the front of his mind called an echo of, **_On our way, asha._**

The pups glanced back up at him as a strange, unwarranted sound left his throat. Diedrich brought a hand up to cover his mouth. Emma rubbed his shoulder, quietly asking if he was okay. Moments later, when that bright light appeared again in the darkness, the same noise resurfaced and he rushed to sit up, weakness be damned. He wasn't _weak._

The light flickered in and out of existence several more times before coming to a halt within the barrier with a loud fizzle. Everyone else perked up; Lilli pushing off the rock with an excited chirrup, Killian rolling into Emma's arms and pointing at the newcomers.

Alexius' glow dimmed until it was completely gone, leaving him and his rescued burden visible to the others. The golden merman held a very exhausted Vash in his arms—the leopard-tailed merman looked bruised and battered, barely awake, and completely limp in the other's hold. Lilli immediately swam over to him, bubbling happily.

The blond alpha forced himself up on his hands, ignoring the violent shake in his limbs. His gaze fiercely scanned over the pair, over every glorious fin splayed out from exertion. At seeing darker brown hair wave from behind Alexius' own curls, and the male that dark hair belonged to pushing off the merman's back to drift around the side of golden fins, Diedrich leapt up.

The ebony-tailed merman's heart was pacing, head dazed with a flurry of emotions. Worry, guilt, elation. _Relief._

Diedrich crashed into the young male with trembling fervor, clutching his son to his chest. Roderich yelped as they both hit the sand, tails tangled.

It was one thing to know. Another completely to _see._

 _Oh, my darling boy._

He held tight.

 **...xXx...**

Diedrich woke in a tangle of warmth and fins. Lying on his stomach, he held the smooth bedding beneath him loosely. The water smelled thick of spices and sparks, of spent magic and glacial melt. Peeking one eye open, it took him a bleary moment before he recognized the red moss and silk bed he resided in. It was dark, save for a few wisp lanterns that emitted weak orange light around the coral and granite room.

He didn't remember falling asleep, let alone being brought to Alexius' chambers.

Hands were all at once on his back, some kind of gel being massaged into his shoulders. The poultice felt cool against his skin and scales, and then as those large hands worked it into his skin it began to heat up, soothing his taut muscles.

Diedrich's throat rumbled in appreciation for the balm and he closed his eye, adjusting his tail slightly.

"Lie still," he heard a deep voice murmur, the heated breath of water tickling his ear. He felt several soft fins brushing along his ebony tail, and he knew that the golden male was hovering above him as he worked.

The blond let out another hum and stopped moving. "When did I black out?" he asked quietly, words vibrating in his throat.

"A few hours ago," Alexius answered. Those hands smoothed the gel carefully around the gills along his sides and over his waist. "It's nearly dawn."

 _That's unfortunate,_ he thought with a sigh. "How are the others?"

"Sleeping. Stef and Fausto are looking after Vash's wounds, and they finally got him to fall asleep." There was something in the other merman's voice that was tense, hidden just behind his words.

"And?" Diedrich edged, recognizing the tone.

"Roderich is currently enjoying being smothered by his siblings," Alexius went on, puffing a stiff laugh. Thoughts of his children safe and sound, _Roderich_ in particular, and piled atop one another for closeness made his chest constrict. "I don't think they'll be letting him out of their sight any time soon."

"And?"

Silence pervaded the water between them, and the black-tailed male waited patiently for the other to continue. For the other stone to strike.

Alexius swallowed thickly above him as he worked the poultice down the length of his tail. The cool-heated sensation soon numbed him enough to fully sink into the bed, and Diedrich fought off the lethargy that threatened to overtake him. He needed to settle the other's uneasiness before he slept again, and the blond could guess what it was about.

Alexius cleared his throat, and whispered, "You gave everyone quite the scare fainting like that."

 _Yes._ His thoughts were correct.

Diedrich opened his eyes and turned his head more, trying to get a look at the other merman. He was just outside of his peripherals, working the balm on the middle of his dark tail, and he didn't move to try and see him fully. The blond stared at the waving shadow of the other's many fins that rippled across the silks and his arm.

"I was just very relieved," Diedrich said softly.

"You were just very _spent,"_ Alexius barked. His hands left his scales for a moment as he reached for some more medicine. They returned, cold and firm, but still gentle despite his agitation. "What were you thinking, sending your magic halfway across the damned ocean?"

"What else was I supposed to do?" Diedrich huffed, trying to keep his relaxed purr from morphing into a growl. It was difficult. "Let that creature kill my children?"

"You should have let me handle it."

"There was no time. You would have been too late."

"I would _not_ have been too late," Alexius hissed, and the harsh noise sent a shiver up the ebony merman's spine. "I would have been there in an _instant_ if I didn't have to dodge that shockwave of yours. Not to mention, the ship was blown half to hell when I got there."

 _Ah._

Diedrich turned his head away and buried his face into his arms. He could usually keep his emotions under control, hidden and composed, but after what had happened that night he could hardly keep himself from trembling. The blond grit his teeth, swallowing down the shameful noises threatening to surface. If he were in anyone else's company he would have stamped down his frailty of the moment, but since it was Alexius he had no choice. He let go.

One would think that the golden male would have a bit of _sympathy._

He remembered how his children had called out to him—panicked, fearful, desperate—and how useless he had felt, at too much of a distance to help. It wasn't enough that he'd felt his energy sapped by that creature of pure evil through his connection with Roderich, something that wasn't nearly as unfamiliar to him as he'd like, but—

A calloused hand dug into his long hair, and Diedrich suppressed a moan as thick fingers balled in his ashy locks and pushed them up, exposing his neck. The other hand slid between his shoulder blades and wrapped around the back of his throat, icy-hot gel being massaged into the tension there. Diedrich couldn't stop from shuddering as nails grazed his scalp, and his breath caught as a scalding thumb pressed behind his left ear.

The mark on the back of his neck blazed and crackled under the golden male's touch, and Diedrich snapped his head back with a gasp. His back arched and he pushed up onto his elbows, eyes flying open as the static sensation of his bones melting overtook his whole being.

"I'm not angry with you." The low sigh was murmured close to him, rough lips brushing against his ear. The blond could hardly hear anything over the buzz of magic in his veins. "No, not with you."

A violent shiver ran through his limbs and Diedrich shook, and _shook,_ kneading the silks beneath him as he stared blindly at the domed ceiling. Those lips stayed pressed against his ear, warm breath washing over his cheek. Another shock ran through his system as the room rumbled with energy.

"I'm angry that they nearly got you _again."_

 _"Ngh,"_ was all that he could manage.

"That they nearly got Roderich."

"A-Ah . . !"

"That they dared to use _him_ to get to _you."_

Diedrich was gulping in breaths, mouth gaping, trying not to fold himself in half as that voltaic hand stayed firm around his neck. The other moved from his hair to pin him to the silk bed against his lower back.

"Lie still." Those lips moved from his ear to his jaw, teeth grazing the skin there. The sensitivity of his body electrified the touch tenfold.

"I ca—I can't!" the ebony merman panted, and a jolt of searing magic shot from the base of his skull down to the tip of his tail.

 _Damn it! Damn him! I need_ _—_

One soul reached for the other, melding into one.

 _"Alex!"_ Diedrich cried out. Bright white flashed in his vision, his lungs clenching to a halt. Every cell in his body was collapsing and molding together again, over and over, the well of pure arcane essence spilling inside of him and burning over every tendon, every sinew. His arms locked as he pushed back against the hold keeping him down, a soundless scream tearing his throat.

When at last an eternity was over, the outside magic faded from his soul, leaving only his own behind. Renewed with ringing, bubbling vigor. The golden male released him and the blond sank into the silk cushion.

Diedrich's heartbeat was slow, his mind even slower as he rode the aftershocks trailing down the length of him.

 _He could have warned me first,_ his thoughts barely protested.

Those large hands, the same that had just rebuilt him from the inside out, were now soft and tender as they turned him over. The poultice was gone from his scales, and only the relief in his muscles remained. The black-tailed merman was utterly limp, as malleable as before, if even more so now.

Turquoise eyes fluttered open as he felt a weight settle across him, fingers brushing through his hair. Glowing gold flecks in bright auburn eyes met his, as did the expression of the other male. He shivered from its intensity, and from another spasm.

"I won't let it take you again, asha," the merman vowed, his hushed voice deafening in the silent cove. _"I won't."_

Alexius loomed over him, grand golden tail pressed against his own, dozens of shimmering fins blanketing him like a glittering tent. Yellow hands rested on either side of the blond's ashen crown, his head bent low.

An obsidian dipped hand raised up towards the vibrant male's face, knuckles brushing against the lips there. Diedrich couldn't find the strength to speak with anything other than his heart.

 ** _Then you take me._**

 **...xXx...**

 **Aiii these dads are complicated...**


	14. In the Back of A Sea Cave

**Vash mulls over his strange predicament while he recuperates, and tries not to feel lonely.**

 **...xXx…**

Vash groaned quietly. He covered his eyes with his arm and attempted to roll over, but stopped when his muscles protested.

 _Right._

He groaned again, his achy chest quivering as he sucked in a deep, deep breath.

Lowering his arm, green eyes blinked slowly as the black waters around him tinted grey. Walls of hollowed, dark red rock met his gaze, and were within his touch if he reached out. The tunneled entrance to the little cubbyhole showcased rays of far-off sunlight that were beginning to trickle through the Great Alcazar haven.

Vash forced his leaden body to roll onto his right side, almost onto his stomach, and he leaned against the wall as he tucked himself into the divot there. The small space had cooled over night, the sun warmed rock chilling faster in the deeper waters. A thick, sea silk weave covered him, and he was grateful that it helped to keep the bite of cold off of his skin and scales.

Moving wasn't exactly his specialty at the moment, and once the leopard-tailed male nuzzled into the kelp at the corner of the bed and the wall, his body slumped. Vash hardly had the energy to get up at all. At least, not for the past few days or so, and only just long enough to roll over to eat. The _unfortunate_ events of the other day had ensured that he'd be useless until he was fully healed.

Turns out that being tossed around like a pebble by a massive monster and having an entire rotten ship crush him was bad for his health. Who would have thought.

Despite his soreness, the speckled merman was restless.

The only contact he'd had with anyone over the last several days had been whenever the strange, blind youngling came in to treat his wounds. The pale juvenile had originally frightened him the first night he'd awoken—to think, a ghost had been hovering over him! Alas, it was just the smaller male, floating silently, his milky eyes watching him sightlessly as his hands worked to tighten the wrappings around his wounds. Vash had gotten used to him after the first few instances, even though he still didn't know the youngling's name despite him being the only outside contact he's had.

Not even Lilli had been in to see him, since the others were keeping her away.

At first, Vash had been angry. How _dare_ the others—these _strangers_ —keep her away from him. How dare they presume that he'd be okay with that, in any respect.

After the second day of isolation, he'd begun to understand why they kept her away. He was in no way able to care for her at the moment, feed her or even stay awake enough to protect her. It would be risky to have her lay with him, in case she accidentally hit his wounds in her sleep, or roughed around too much—she was still a pup, after all.

Around the third night, the merman had to admit that he was . . . _grateful_ his sister couldn't see him like this, any more than she already had. Vash wanted to stay, in her eyes, infallible. Plus, since his left side was throbbing; torn up his waist and arm, wounds reopened from his skirmish with—

Vash shuddered.

Lilli would still speak to him through their bond every day. Telling him if she was fine or not, babbling on and on about the other merfolk, what colors their tails were, the stories they told her, what new fish she'd eaten that day—and that was enough to settle his nerves. Apparently, she'd been playing with the other pup, Killian, and was growing quite fond of the merboy. However, whenever she would talk about the other pups from the Alcazar pod that she played with, his stomach turned a bit.

The emerald male worried through the hours whether or not she was getting along with them, if they were playing too rough, if she fit in—all of which Lilli would just tell him she was okay. The little mermaid had never been around others her age before, since Vash had raised her by himself. After their mother had passed, what choice did he have? At the time, he was only 15 cycles old himself, and it wasn't like he could have taken his baby sister and tried to move from their nest. That would have been a death sentence for them both.

Nevertheless, guilt gnawed at Vash more than any other pain.

The merman sighed as he buried his face further into the kelp nest, pulling the blanket up over his ears.

 _I wonder how different life would have been,_ he thought, _if we had joined another pod._

Thoughts of them both growing older and bonding with other merfolk flit through his head, and he frowned. The idea didn't sit right with him. After all, he had grown up without a sibling, with only his mother for comfort, and he turned out just fine. Why couldn't the same be said for his sister? She had _him._

Despite himself, the faces of the Sapphire Cavern pod filled his mind, and the leopard-tailed male almost whimpered.

Diedrich knew him, had known his mother before her passing, and had offered for Vash and Lilli to come live with him and his family. Afterwards, he had yelled at the older merman, snapping at him that he didn't want any pity, didn't _need_ it. The alpha's pod had never helped them before—decidedly untrue, but at the time Vash couldn't be bothered to acknowledge that fact—so he didn't want their help. Diedrich had obeyed his wishes and left him mostly to care for his newborn sister by himself, only dropping by occasionally to check on them. Alexius had given him a similar offer, one which he'd also turned down.

Thoughts of the pod continued to run through his mind, specifically how they had allowed Lilli and him to swim with them to the Alcazar. A fact that still surprised him to no end. He'd clashed with a few of the males at the border of their territories over time, just minor scuffles, but it was enough to make it clear that he wasn't going to be lenient against them for trespassing. That territory was _his;_ his home, and his sister's, and he would make sure it was safe.

Yet, despite his aggression, they'd still allowed them to travel alongside the pod. Well, mostly.

Vash's eyes flew open as soon as the face of a certain merman appeared behind his eyelids. He huffed in frustration and huddled further under the sea silk weave, completely covering his head with it.

 _Idiot._

A pause. A snort.

 _A handsome idiot_.

He made sure to keep that thought to himself.

Perhaps what soured his mood as much as Lilli being kept away from him, was the fact that he hadn't heard a peep from Roderich.

A tingling sensation pooled at the base of his spine at the thought of the other male, totally unbidden and, frankly, exasperating. Every time his mind went back to the brunet his body hummed, heartbeats full with satisfaction.

 _Alive, alive,_ chirped his inner voice, _He's alive. Alive, and warm, and well._

Vash was still, honestly, reeling from that fact. How the violet male had come back from literal death, he'd never know, nor could he even fathom a guess. The blond wouldn't even entertain the idea that he had been the one to bring him back. Sure, he'd ripped that grotesque being from out of him, but even then Roderich hadn't awakened. Not until Vash had . . .

No. Impossible. _Insane._ None of that 'true love's kiss' for him, _thank you very much._ Only reality for him. No matter the how, he could admit that he was glad that Roderich was alive.

But he hadn't heard from the elegant merman. Not in person, or . . .

Vash swallowed thickly at the notion that they were bonded. Fucking _bonded._ After just one day of, what? Swimming from danger together? _For fuck's sake_ , he grumbled inwardly. Maybe he'd been too far removed from others of his kind for a long time, but it didn't seem likely for a bond to form _that_ quickly. Especially between complete strangers.

Unfortunately for the emerald merman, his anxious mind wouldn't allow him to just sleep and _not_ think about it, like he wanted to. That's what he told himself again and again every time the image of the iridescent, shimmering, indigo male invaded his thoughts.

The miniscule amount of sleep he _did_ manage to get that wasn't induced by whatever magic that blind juvenile sacked him with were filled with odd dreams. With dancing colors, flashes of white light, a swirling darkness that ate everything in sight, the suffocating smell of blood, along with the scent of something he couldn't quite place; and that's all he could remember.

The male always woke from those dreams unable to move, to breathe, trapped curled on his side in petrified horror.

Vash had shaken those thoughts from him then, attributing it simply being a biproduct of the experience of the other night, and he shook them from him now. Even though the sun was rising, he wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and forget about everything for awhile.

He couldn't.

 **...xXx…**

A couple hours later, when the waters outside were filled with enough light to brighten the interior of his little cubby, Vash gave up trying to rest.

The leopard-tailed merman was tired of laying around. Of being isolated and _sulking._ He made up his mind.

Vash hissed in discomfort as he moved his bandaged tail for the first time in days, pushing himself up by his arms. His left arm was bandaged by more silks, and the sting around his elbow wasn't nearly as bad as the burning around his waist.

 _I'm fine,_ he scolded himself, grunting as he untangled the blanket from his fins. _I can get my own damn food._

Admittedly, the blond used his hands to pull himself across the circular nest towards the entrance as he carefully waved out the stiffness in his spotted tail. He picked up a small, curved bone from the pile of discarded bones from his meals and hooked it through the weave at his neck to hold it in place.

Once he was beneath the short tunnel, Vash pushed himself up and paddled through the carved exit, poking his head out to look around. The waters were clear and quiet. Even though the Alcazar was deeper underwater than his home in the shallows, it was illuminated well by the sun above, the rays reflecting all along the coral towers and forests. The faintest shine of the protective dome around them could also be seen if one looked closely enough.

Taking it slow, Vash freed himself from the stifling den and ventured forth.

The swim towards the tall clusters of coral was unhurried, and the male stayed close to the seafloor so he could push off the sand if need be. He'd rather take his time than injure himself further, lest he be confined to that cubbyhole in the rocks even longer. The thick weave was snugly clutched around his shoulders to stave off the chilly morning waters, and he was relieved. The sensation of the soft silk draped down the length of him was an unfamiliar one, yet welcome. He'd never needed such a thing before in his territory, but the Alcazar was a different matter.

Vash had only been to the Great Alcazar twice before with his mother when he was a pup, but he was glad that he vaguely remembered where the main common area was. As it was the place he spent the most time, and where the food was located.

The emerald male was reassured that the den he'd been placed in was a good distance away from the center of the Alcazar. He wouldn't want to be too close to everybody else. It would've been distressing to be around the busy activity of everyone milling about and clustered together.

As the blond merman swam underneath coral archways, belly skirting the sand and seaweed beneath him, he stopped at the edge of a ring of granite stone steps that dipped down into an amphitheatre. He saw the bowl of caught fish down in the bottom of the arena, and his stomach growled.

Vash held back at the top of the coliseum when he saw the flicker of several tails across the way. He ducked down to press himself against the sand, staying in the shadows of the stone columns. A group of larger males appeared from around the lower level steps, and Vash recognized a few of them.

There were five in total; two belonging to the Sapphire Cavern pod and the other three to the Alcazar.

The two Sapphire males swam close together. The black striped silver-tailed-silver-haired one ruffled the smaller blond one's hair, toothy grin glinting in the early light. Vash recognized the blond one as the one who had arrived with Diedrich to save them from the tiger shark. _Ludwig, was his name?_ He had no idea who the silver male was, but he did realize it was one of the ones who'd threatened him once they'd caught up to the pod.

The leopard-tailed merman watched as the pair slowly made their way towards the food bowl with the other three males.

Vash recognized one of the Alcazar mermen, one with dark amber hair that was tied back and a spiny crimson tail, as one who'd originally helped move him into his den. He didn't know his name, since he'd been too exhausted to care. Another merman who looked to almost be his twin, with shorter hair and a slightly lighter red tail, swam alongside him. That one was loudly riffing and crowing with the silver-haired Sapphire male. The last merman again had brown, curled hair, and his tail was similar to the others with spikes and fins, in a burnt bronze with lighter stripes. That merman particularly looked not quite awake, and radiated annoyance.

Vash grimaced in equal discontent. Settling into the seagrass beneath him, the speckled male tugged the silk weave better over himself and laid his head on his arms. He didn't want to attempt to waddle down towards this group and make himself a target, so he would wait for them to leave. Though, he knew they wouldn't attack him, not there, not unless they wanted to deal with Alexius or Diedrich, but he still didn't want to give them any ideas.

The emerald merman relaxed in the shadow of the archway, letting his muscles thrum and throb. The coliseum was warming from the sunlight trickling down from the surface far above them, the graven stone and coral glittering.

Vash witnessed as more merfolk showed up. Two mermaids; Emma looking very sleepy while swimming with the fuschia and aqua-tailed beauty, who was combing her long hazel curls with her fingers.

 _Elizabeta, right?_ he thought, recalling the name Roderich used. _The one who's mated with . . . was it Gilbert? Whoever that is._

He relaxed his head back atop his arms, keeping watch with half-lidded eyes as the mermaid smiled and chirped excitably to Emma.

The spotted merman kept an eye on them as they met up with the group of males over the bowl of food and began chatting. It seemed he got his answer when he saw Elizabeta go over to the silver-haired male and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He didn't think the other's grin could have gotten any wider.

Off to his left he spied the flicker of a violet tail, and his heart thumped.

Roderich swam over to the food dish rather swiftly, which seemed unlike him. Vash's gaze followed him intensely, surprised to finally see the other for the first time in days. The merman looked well; scales shining, eel-like tail waving rhythmically, his arms no longer bandaged by cloth. The purple male didn't acknowledge his family once he reached the bowl except for a nod before reaching into the dish, grabbed a few fish, and disappeared through a tunnel on the opposite side of the arena.

The little squeeze in Vash's chest went ignored.

The blond didn't know what to expect. If the other had seen him, what would he have even done? Cried out in front of everybody to say hello? Swam over to him and invaded his personal space by _touching_ him and brushing against his tail? _As if._

The slight twinge of disappointment also went ignored.

Vash shivered in the shade and took a deep breath, exhaling heavily as he let his body fully settle into the grass. He pushed all thoughts of the other male from his mind, not willing to think about senseless things.

 _Looks like I'm going to have to wait awhile,_ he mused, viridian irises tracking more tails as they appeared. He should have predicted this—it _was_ early morning, after all. Everyone would be getting up to eat something or go out to hunt. He, too, was hungry, but he could wait until everyone had dispersed.

Before long, Vash was dozing under his blanket.

Iridescent flashes brightened the darkness behind his eyelids.

 **...xXx…**

 **Vash is a wallflower extraordinaire (who's maybe got a crush).**

 **On a side note, that bronze merman swimming with Antonio and Fausto is Lovino! :D Both Italy brothers with be introduced more thoroughly soon, don't worry, but since they're not the focal point of this fic it's taken a bit.**


	15. Well It Felt So Good To Be Young

**Roderich attempts to connect with Vash and does his best not to jump to conclusions. So he asks something of his father, and of himself.**

 **...xXx…**

 _It's too early,_ Roderich thought, yawning. He glided around a tall tree of pink coral, ducking under several branches and he readjusted the fish in his arms. As he emerged from under the coral, the brunet shook out his tail of the sluggishness that still lingered under his scales.

Sneaking away from the rest of his pod was quite the undertaking.

Ever since he'd arrived at the Great Alcazar, his family hadn't let him out of their sight or away from their grasp. The same went for Emma and Killian, though the merboy was enjoying the attention way more than he or their sister. Emma couldn't get a free moment away from either of her close brothers; Abel was always within arms reach, touching her tail and petting her hair, and Klaus kept asking nonstop if he could get her anything, like bringing her food, and he frequently gave her big hugs.

Roderich himself always had one or two of the others around him. Bazil and Evicka tended to hang onto his fins as he went to eat, Elizabeta accompanied him for swims around the haven, Gilbert and Ludwig offered to take him hunting, and at night everyone curled around the three of them so snugly that he thought they would be smothered in their sleep.

Well, the _four_ of them.

It didn't improve his mood any that he was also stuck with looking after all of the pups from both pods. He was never particularly _good_ at pupsitting, even though he and Gilbert had helped their father raise the others of their family. With the two pod leaders absent most days and the others going out to hunt or patrol around the Alcazar, it didn't really leave him much choice.

It's not that he disliked younglings; it's just that the mauve male hardly had the energy to keep up with the, what? _Ten,_ or so, rambunctious pups that insisted on wiggling and squirming and _squealing_ around like little whirlpools of terror. The other pod had two sets of triplets, and Roderich couldn't even imagine taking care of that many younglings all at once on a daily basis. Indeed, the other adults from the Alcazar pod seemed quite grateful to have their fins free while he and Emma were being buried underneath half a dozen new tails to look after.

A breath of fresh water was most _certainly_ needed.

Thankfully, Emma had offered to fully look after the pups with Elizabeta, so Roderich was being freed of his temporary duty as youngling caregiver for the day.

Killian and the twins he was used to. They enjoyed relaxing around the sand with him, stacking stones or singing, and Killian napped around as much as he played. With the addition of the triplets, all of them had been kept busy. Playing, singing, hiding, racing, mock fighting—Roderich could hardly keep up.

Klaus was getting too old to hang around with the other pups, but whenever he peeled away from his sister he would spend time with the white, blind juvenile. Stefano, Roderich knew from his last visit to the coral palace, was close in age to his brother. The two seemed to get along quite well, and the merman mused that Klaus must have been happy to finally have a friend to confide in, aside from his family.

Then, there was Lilli.

Roderich smiled to himself thinking about the spotted mermaid, and he skirted by a school of red fish.

Lilli had remained at his hip throughout the days, no matter where or what he was doing. If he wanted to go eat, she went with him. Same if he went for a swim with Elizabeta, the little one would cling around his shoulders and ask the two of them questions— _particularly_ how Elizabeta braided shells into her hair. Then she was right there with him when he went to bed, and he made sure to hold her close to keep warm.

Not that that was wholly necessary while being coddled by the rest of his pod, but the chillier waters often had the youngling shivering. The brunet found a slip of sea silk on the second day and he pinned it around her shoulders to help keep her comfortable.

Roderich was constantly surprised and honored at just how much the mermaid trusted him. He wanted to keep that trust, and to keep her safe.

Occasionally she would swim over to Emma and spend a few fleeting moments with her, or play a bit with Killian and the twins, but otherwise she stuck to him like a slug on a rock. Her presence soothed him unlike any of the others, with her brightness and shy demeanor, not to mention that her speckles and spots constantly reminded him of a certain _someone._

His mind ruminated over the reason he'd awoken too soon in the first place, and he simpered.

Roderich was finally allowed to see Vash.

It had been five days since they'd arrived at the Great Alcazar. Five days since the leopard-tailed male was carted off to have his injuries treated. Five days since he and Emma had been put in charge of seeing after Lilli. Five days of hearing nothing from her brother through their new connection. Five days of no one telling him anything other than, _"He's resting, leave him be."_

Five _excruciating_ days. It had felt like an eternity.

The fresh bond between him and Vash had _burned_ the entire time. Especially stinging his left side. He'd never experienced anything like it before. It was as if every breath he took filled his lungs with the clearest water, his scales sparking with every subtle movement, his senses heightened. Roderich thought he was going to go mad through the hours as the searing ache kept him awake at night; it pulsed from the tip of his tail, up his spine, budded in the nape of his neck. The sensation prospered in the center of his heart and mind.

No _familial_ bond had ever felt like it before. Of _that,_ he was positive.

The eel-tailed merman slowed his pace as he came up on several tall strands of kelp, curling around them deftly so as not to drop any fish. The sight of a dome shaped red rock a few paces ahead caused his heart to race. As he swam closer, he saw the small mouth of an opening towards the top. He stopped at the base of the rock and sand.

Roderich set down his armful of fish by the threshold of the den.

 _Okay, here goes nothing,_ he thought, petting down his pelvic fins. Smoothing his hazel locks of hair back from his face, the male busied himself for a moment to compose his nerves and spruce up his just-rolled-out-of-the-nest look.

He wasn't quite sure what he had to be nervous about, but he couldn't deny the slight shake in his hands as he pawed up the side of the stone. Poking his head into the dark entrance, Roderich listened for any noise. _Nothing._

He called out softly, "Vash?"

 _Nothing._

Glancing down at the fish he'd brought, the purple merman decided to see if the other was even awake first before presenting the food. Dipping into the entrance, the brunet crawled forward into the dimly lit cubby until he could peek into the chamber.

 _Nothing?_

Roderich blinked as his eyes adjusted and he scanned the inside of the den. There seemed to be no trace of his target among the kelp and moss nest. Well, aside from the thick smell of old blood, spent magic, and . . .

The eel-tailed merman picked up a strand of kelp and brought it do his face, closing his eyes. He breathed in deeply, gills flaring, lungs filling, and such a sweet, mouthwatering odor hit his palette. _Ah._

A shock of electricity bolted through his mind and he let out a shaky breath. _Oh, my._ He dropped the strand of kelp.

 _Where is he?_

Pushing himself back out of the tunnel, Roderich turned and immediately started scanning the area. His brain was scorching. Set fire by the lush essence he'd just gotten a whiff—no, a _taste_ of. Creamy and thick; an ambrosial, cloying scent that oozed through his lungs like molten syrup. It was unlike anything he'd smelled before, and yet it was all he'd ever wanted to breathe.

 _There._

Looking back the way he'd came, Roderich sped off. He scooped up the fish almost as an afterthought. His senses were tingling, leading him towards the main hollow where everyone gathered, where he'd gotten the food. Tail waving in precise, strong strokes, he darted through the water. All semblance of his morning drowsiness was gone, replaced only with the need to see his dear savior.

Upon reaching the coliseum, violet eyes scanned over the menagerie of tails flickering in and out of the stone structure. Roderich glided below some archways leading through to the inside of the granite haven and slowed his pace as seaweed tickled his belly. The buzzing at the back of his skull was stronger now, and he was about to give in and call out through their connection when he found what he was looking for.

Around a dozen tail lengths in front of his nose was an emerald, black-tipped tailfin. His heart beat quickened. The fin was slumped to the side, ebony tip twitching. The rest of the tail was covered with a yellowish quilt of sea silk, obscuring most of the merman against the green grass.

Roderich floated forward, quiet and cautious, until he was resting beside his companion in full.

 _Vash._

The merman's blond hair curled in the water from his approach, twirling passed a pink, freckled cheek. The mauve-tailed male set down the armful of fish on the edge of the step. The flaring of their fresh connection rippled across his scales as he settled onto the seaweed.

As soon as the brunet reached out to touch the other's shoulder, the smoldering sensation that had kept him awake at night for days on end _at last_ extinguished once his silver fingers brushed against smooth skin.

"Hello, there," Roderich murmured faintly. He didn't quite want to wake the merman _just_ yet. He wanted to look him over first, see how he was faring.

There were dark circles under the male's eyes, and he was extremely pale. Vash was breathing deeply, head lying on his arms, and there was a white wrapping above his left elbow. That tantalizing, rich scent he'd smelled back at the cubbyhole was present all around the male, and it made him sigh, disturbing more golden locks.

The sight and feel of Vash so close to him now after being apart seemed to allow the knot in his lower back to unwind.

A stray thought, unbidden, came to him then of, _He's not yours._

The male retracted his fingers.

 _He won't want you._

Roderich turned his head away for a moment, swallowing.

 _Why would he ever want **you?**_

The male ran a hand through his hair and huffed. He saw that Emma and Elizabeta had left the area below, probably gone off to wake the younglings. Most of the adults from both pods were gathered, getting breakfast and mingling, deciding the order for hunting parties.

The archway alcove he and Vash rested under hid them in a cool shadow, and they wouldn't be seen unless one of the others looked up from a specific angle.

He returned his gaze to the dozing blond beside him. The blanket covered the leopard-tailed merman from his shoulders down, and the violet male was about to lift it to get a look at his injuries, and distract himself from his self doubt, when a clear voice rang out in his mind.

 ** _Roderich._**

Amethyst irises flicked up.

Across the arena, he met the eyes of his father. Diedrich was perched atop the granite structure, only his upper half and stern expression visible as he cast his gaze down upon the coliseum. It was the first time he'd seen his father in days. Roderich felt anxiety crawl through his gut, and his scales prickled.

His father inclined his head, another thought echoed, **_Come here._**

Glancing between Vash and Diedrich, the eel-tailed male hesitated as he thought, **_But I just_** **—**

 _ **Now.**_

His body was up and moving from the command before he could even process what he was doing. The violet male made sure not to bump into Vash as he slid off the step, swimming up and over to his father. For some reason, it felt like when he was young and about to receive a scolding for sneaking off. He hoped that whatever the merman had to tell him was quick, that way he could get back to his emerald companion before he woke.

Once he hovered in front of the alpha, Roderich asked, "Yes, Vati?"

Diedrich gestured beside him to the moss covered stone.

 _So much for being quick._

Roderich did as he was bid and laid down alongside the larger figure of his father. Diedrich held himself up on his elbows and kept watch over the others down below as the violet male settled himself, getting comfortable on the moss. He waited for the black-tailed merman to speak first, eager to hear whatever he had to say so he could return to the other merman.

After a few silent moments, the worry in his stomach was starting to bubble up more and more. Roderich shifted on his arms, looking over to where Vash was still sleeping under the darkened arches. At last, Diedrich spoke.

"You look well."

Roderich's eyebrows rose. He turned back to his father, swirling green-blue eyes meeting his own. The gaze was gentle, his tone kind, and the eel-tailed merman was unused to the male's more tender moments.

"I, ah," he stumbled. "Thank you?"

A rumble sounding similar to a chuckle resonated from Diedrich's throat. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

 _Fine, I'm fine,_ his mind screamed. Having had to repeat the phrase over and over again to his siblings to ease their nagging. _Nervous,_ another part of his brain whispered, and his eyes betrayed him as he snuck a glance towards Vash again. He looked down at his hands and began cleaning the sand out from underneath his nails, trying his best to seem nonchalant.

"I'm all right," the brunet answered. "Just tired."

Diedrich made a noise, eyes lingering on his son. "It is quite unlike you to be awake at this hour."

"I was hungry," Roderich said, waving his hand. He snuck another glance.

"Hmm." The iridescent male looked up at his father then, and his heart jumped to the back of his tongue when he saw that the elder blond now had his gaze trained right on Vash.

 _Shit, shit, shit,_ his mind rushed. He forced himself to pause. _Wait. Why am I so worried about him knowing that I brought food for Vash? It's not like I've done anything wrong._

"No, you've done nothing wrong." Roderich nearly sprang out of his scales at the statement. Diedrich was eyeing him once again, his gaze somehow even softer. The blond tapped his son's temple with an obsidian finger. "You're thoughts are too loud. Calm yourself, Roderich," he added, retracting his finger. "I'm not going to bite."

"Oh?" Despite the reassurance, Roderich fought to keep his heart from racing. His mind was a mantra of, _Thoughts too loud, thoughts too loud._

Diedrich leaned his tail against his eel-like son, and that seemed to soothe the brunet enough to stop panicking over nothing.

 _Right,_ he thought, taking a deep breath. Aloud, he said, "Sorry, it's just . . ." Amethyst irises caressed themselves to a distant emerald.

"What is it?"

"I haven't gotten to see Vash since we arrived," Roderich grumbled.

"Why not?" Diedrich's eyebrows furrowed, and he genuinely sounded confused.

"The others," the violet male began, "were really intent on keeping us apart." He refused to think that he was pouting, even if that's basically what he was doing. "At least, that's what it felt like."

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't been able to see him _at all!"_ Roderich snapped, hands slamming against the granite. He shook his head, surprised at the trembling in his fingers. The eel-tailed merman forced himself to relax, feeling guilty at his outburst. Though, when he looked back up, his father's tranquil expression urged him to let out his frustrations. "Any time I've tried to go and see him, or take Lilli to him, Gilbert has pulled me away. Or suddenly Abel and Elizabeta want me to go hunting. Or there's a problem with the pups. There's _never_ a problem with the pups. They just wanted to keep me where I was."

Diedrich dipped his head, nodding slowly as he stared back down into the amphitheatre. "They mean well."

Roderich grit his teeth. "They mean to suffocate me."

"Is that what you think?"

"It's what I feel." Diedrich grunted and he felt a wave of disapproval radiate from his father. Purple eyes looked away, and he huffed. " _Fine._ I don't really, but that doesn't change the fact that I haven't had a free moment to myself in nearly a week."

The black-tailed merman brushed his knuckles against Roderich's cheek, and the male slumped, sighing out his vexation. A few silent moments passed between them.

 ** _I don't mean to complain,_** he thought to the alpha. He cleared his throat, looking up at Diedrich when he felt his hair being tucked behind his ear.

"Is there something else bothering you?" the blond asked.

"No." Roderich tangled his fingers together, and he felt his cheeks heat up.

 ** _Roderich._** A delicate warmth filtered through their bond. The purple merman felt like a youngling again, seeking the comfort of his father whenever he'd woken up from a nightmare.

An idea popped into his head—one that had haunted him in the darkest part of the night, just before he'd fall asleep. A guess that the reason he and Vash had bonded nearly instantly was not for the reason he _hoped_ it was. The thought would snap him awake and make his very bones ache.

Roderich rubbed the back of his neck. "Vati . . ."

"Yes?"

"You've known me my whole life, right? Okay, okay. Yes, I know; _you_ were the one who raised me. I know," his voice softened at that, feeling the black tail stiffen against him. "And you've pretty much known Vash all of his life, yes? Well, most of it, I think. Since he's not really part of our pod, but he has always lived beside us for as long as I know—"

Diedrich cut him off. "What are you getting at?"

Roderich took a deep, steadying breath and decided to just go for it. "Vash and I aren't, you know . . . _related,_ are we?" He looked up to see some sort of reaction from his father, immediately getting discouraged at the alpha's wide-eyes. The brunet hunched his shoulders and curled up his tail to make himself seem smaller as he mumbled out, "I mean, you'd stop in to check on him sometimes, I think, and I don't know who my mother is," he flinched, "Or _his_ for that matter, or if he's related to _you_ because you're sort of similar—"

 _"Roderich."_

At his father's gentle tone the eel-tailed male raised his gaze, and he saw nothing but compassion radiating from the large alpha. After a few seconds, a reassuring hum sounded from Diedrich and he dipped his head to the side, braided blond hair waving through the water. "No. You two aren't related, as far as I know."

The relief nearly had him dashing in circles. Roderich could feel himself visibly brighten, and he relaxed with a satisfied sigh, pressing a hand over his heart.

 _Thank the moon and stars!_ His thoughts tumbled in a rush, entangling with each other in his headspace. _I was so worried, I thought for sure that that was why we connected to easily._ _Perhaps I really do have a chance. Perhaps I . . ._

Roderich smiled fondly down into the coliseum.

 _Perhaps I'll be lucky, and he'll want me, too._

Diedrich brushed their tails together, once more a comfort to the younger merman. "Why do you ask?" he said, and the brunet was sure that his father would already suspect the reason. He gave him a look that said as much.

Roderich stared back toward where everyone else was located, where he can _feel_ Vash lounging in the shadows, and his voice sounded a bit far away even to his own ears. "We bonded."

Diedrich kept a straight face even though the shock was clear through their closeness. He opened his mouth to speak, but Roderich continued swiftly to explain himself. "In the ship, on the way here. I don't remember much of that night; I think I blacked out at some point." He purposely left out the true meaning behind those words. "Vash saved me— _again_ —and when I woke up," the mauve male frowned, eyebrows furrowed, "We could speak to each other."

"Are you sure?" the older merman asked cautiously.

"It was as clear as crystal." A silver finger tapped his temple. "Right now, I can sense him sleeping over there above the others." He could feel the other's slow rise and fall of breaths as if they were his own. "I just . . . I want to be _sure_ this is what I _think_ it is before I get my hopes up," Rod finished. He knew he sounded dejected towards the end of his tale, his mood having done a quick flip from his brief bout of hope, and he tried not to get too worked up.

Although, how was he expected to _not_ get excited over the possibility of finding his one true love? His potential _soulmate_ could be the handsomely dappled merman napping across from him. Within his reach, right _there._

Roderich startled when his father pulled him into a firm embrace. The iridescent merman blinked, stiff for a moment before he let his nerves go. He curled into the other's arms as Diedrich pet his hazel hair, cradling him under his chin much like he would when he was small. The blond alpha took a deep breath, nuzzling his temple with a low, gravelly purr that emanated deep in his throat.

The violet male let himself be held like that for a long time, enjoying the fingers in his hair and the vibrations against his body. He hadn't realized just how much he missed the simple contentment of being closely held by his father.

"Be mindful of your actions," Diedrich said, his words rumbling straight through his son's chest. "He may not be all that you want him to be."

Roderich found he couldn't speak for the moment, his reply choked. **_I know._**

 ** _I am happy for you,_** Diedrich added earnestly. He gave him a strong squeeze before pulling away.

Aquamarine irises swirled with joy as they met stormy, violaceous ones.

 ** _Thank you._**

 **...xXx…**

Roderich was left to his own devices soon after that. Only a few more words were spoken between them, then Diedrich perked up and suddenly said he had something to do. As he pushed himself off of their granite resting place, his father patted his cheek with one last kind look before he swam off.

The eel-tailed merman was glad that he'd had the chance to speak with him, the other calming several worries of his. _Particularly_ his anxiety about his dear savior.

 _I'll have to pace myself,_ he vowed. _I don't want to hurt him, or scare him away._

Roderich slid off the top of the arena with a new ease. He made his way back down to his original target for his freedom that day. The crowd beneath him consisting of the other members of the pods had grown, and he sincerely hoped he didn't get snagged away by anyone else.

The tingling sensation he got in the back of his mind and over his scales whenever he was apart from the leopard-tailed male faded the closer he got.

Bending down beneath the step the verdant merman slept on, Roderich floated upright so he could peer over the edge. The length of his tail drifted downward against the other levels of granite, underbelly brushing against the cool stone. Gripping the ledge with silver fingertips, the brunet ever-so-silently peeked over the step.

Vash was so close.

Grass green forearms were but a pebble away from him, the serene face of the dozing male nuzzled into them. It was quiet inside the cover of the arches. Hidden. One plump cheek was squished, and strands of golden hair waved back and forth as a halo around his head. The small breaths puffed from partially parted pink lips tickled Roderich's nose.

A heat fluttered in his heart.

 _He looks so comfortable,_ the violet merman thought, tail flicking. _I'd hate to wake him._

He couldn't restrain himself for long, though, and soon he lifted up a finger to rub a knuckle gently across the other's arm. He retreated beneath the step as the male made a tiny noise, only his eyes left peering above the edge.

Light lashes opened lazily, revealing exquisitely dark, dazzling, gemstone irises. Roderich froze as those emeralds blinked slowly once, twice, and then under half-closed lids looked him straight in the eye.

"Hello," he whispered, not wanting to frighten his waking companion.

Vash tilted his head enough to look better down at him, his mouth hidden behind his crossed arms as he croaked out a timid, _"Hi."_

A chuckle escaped him at the soft sound, and the brunet couldn't help his smile. He raise himself up a bit more like before, their noses nearly brushing now as he stared up into those beautifully _sleepy_ eyes.

Thinking back to his fervent search earlier, Roderich said quietly, "I brought you breakfast." He gestured beside the blond to where the pile of fish was. Vash barely lifted his head as he turned to look, and the brunet could swear he felt the pleasant surprise as the other spotted it.

"Oh," the blond murmured, leaning up on his elbows as he blinked some more. "You didn't have to."

"I wanted to," Roderich said, shrugging one shoulder. "I was, _ah,_ hoping I could join you."

The male's round cheeks darkened as he reached for one of the fish. The eel-tailed merman let his request hang in the water between them, and he waited patiently for the other to respond.

Once Vash picked out his meal, he held it closely in front of him, head ducked low. He was still for a moment. Roderich could see him mulling over his offer and mentally crossed his fingers.

A minute nod was all he received. It was all he needed.

They had to start somewhere.

 **...xXx…**

 **This was intended to be the last one for MerMay, but a bunch of life stuff happened so I'm posting it a bit later than I intended. I made it extra long however, to make up for this and to hold you all over until the next chapter~ ;) Next update will be soon.**


	16. Feels Like Yesterday

**Roderich and Vash reunite.**

 **...xXx...**

The early morning waters were nearly frigid being so deep down into the Great Alcazar, and it took until close to midday for the sanctuary to heat up. Many of the merfolk were used to such a temperature change, especially those who lived there anyways, and even the Sapphire Carven pod hardly complained. Most of their home was split between sunlit coral reefs and much cooler hidden cave systems.

The two leopard spotted siblings from the sunny Verdant Shallows, however, were having a harder time adjusting.

At least, that was the reason Vash told himself for why he was lying so close to his eel-tailed companion. The absolute _only_ reason.

The two mermen were settled onto the cool sea grass in their tunnel hideaway, close enough to touch. Only the silk weave separated them as their tails hesitantly leaned against one another. The blond could palpably feel that the iridescent male was pleased when he didn't pull away.

The two of them ate in comfortable silence. Roderich let Vash have most of the fish, a fact that didn't go unnoticed. He wasn't complaining; his stomach had been regrettably gnawing at him all night and morning.

As he let his breakfast settle, Vash stretched with a groan as he felt his joints pop and his side sting. He blinked away the last bit of drowsiness from his mind as the merman beside him spoke up.

"How are you feeling?"

Vash settled onto his elbows and looked to the male. Those violet eyes seemed to bubble with interest.

"Sore, I guess," he admitted. He tugged the silk weave tighter around his shoulders, and he couldn't help the heat that rose in his cheeks as that long, eel-like tail leaned further against him.

"Could I," Roderich started, then stopped. He glanced around their little tunnel, waving a hand through the water as he formed his request. He waved towards the blond's hip. "Could I have a look?"

Vash shifted on the grass and ducked his head. _What could it hurt?_

He reached back to pull the silk away from his side. The injury was bound with fresh cloth, no blood soaking through it, and he leaned onto his right elbow to undo the knotting. Roderich waited patiently; and yet, with every second, Vash could feel his eyes lingering on his body. His skin, his scales, his sensitive underbelly that he was openly revealing to the other male, who was only a finger-width away. A flame lit up his spine.

"Actually, _no,"_ Vash blurted. "There's no need for you to see it." Face too hot now, his emerald fins flared and he immediately yanked the silk back over himself. He quickly rolled back onto his stomach and glanced away, ignoring the shock from the mauve male.

 _Really, what am I doing?_ he scolded himself, attempting to calm his wild heart. _Why does he want to see it anyway? It's just a wound!_

A soft breath tickled his shoulder, and the spotted male realized that Roderich was laughing at him. He bit his lip and gave the merman a sideways glare.

"Why are you laughing?" Vash grumbled, seeing the other staring at him intently.

"I apologize," Roderich said, and his voice was as smooth as stone. The brunet ducked his head and nudged the blond's green elbow. "I forgot how shy you are."

 _"Shy!"_ Vash rounded on the other and nearly bit his tongue at the amusement twirling in the others eyes.

"It's all right," Roderich added, quick to soothe the prickling male. "I won't pry."

Vash huffed and set his glare at the other's throat. He tried not to growl as his ears burned. "Oh? What, you think I'm a fool? Show me _your_ stomach then, huh."

Roderich chuckled once more, and rolled onto his side.

Vash's pulse jumped.

"You've already laid on me," the violet male stated. "How does this make any difference now?"

Viridian eyes flicked from the other's throat to his chest, but went no further. There was a very faint, grey mark over Roderich's heart. Vash swallowed.

Flashes of darkness and an indescribable terror swam through his mind. The merman reached out and brushed the mark, feeling the warmth of the pale skin underneath his fingertips. Not the too cold touch that he'd felt there last time they were together.

A silver hand covered his own, and Vash lifted his gaze. Roderich was staring so thoroughly into him that the male was sure he was watching the nightmares in his thoughts.

 _Right. He can do that anyways._

"Vash." Roderich squeezed his hand.

"You're alive," was all he could say. He wanted to berate himself for the obviousness of his words, the redundancy to even say such a thing. But it was out now, the useless statement; floating in the water between them.

 _ **Because of you.**_

Vash blinked, eyebrows raising as he watched the iridescent male slide their fingers together.

"Cut it out," he mumbled, turning to look down into the Alcazar with pink striped across his nose and ears. "I'm not used to hearing you, ah, _you know."_

Roderich hummed and rolled back onto his stomach, pressing their shoulders together. "Well, there's only one way to get use to it." **_I think you know how._**

 ** _Shut up._**

Vash ignored the chuckling male as he tried to grab hold of his wild heart. Why did it threaten to wiggle away form him every time Roderich did something? _Anything?_ All the male had to do was breathe and he was beyond coherent speech because of the beating lump in his throat. Not to mention that their fingers were still woven together.

Perhaps there was something more to this feeling. A _something_ that he wasn't willing to entertain so soon.

Regardless, he felt that they should talk about what happened.

"So, hey," Vash said after his inner warring settled down. "What was that thing, anyway?"

"What?" Roderich asked. "That creature?"

Vash nodded. He glanced up to see the brunet looking thoughtful. He didn't miss the small wince in the other's expression.

A silent moment swam by, and the spotted male felt that eel-like tail twitch against his own as Roderich finally said, "I have no idea."

"It kept saying that you belonged to it," Vash added, shuddering at the memory of that horrid disembodied voice. _Voices._

"I—what?" Roderich turned to him. His face was passive, but those amethyst eyes were dark.

Tucking some of his wayward hair behind his ear, Vash continued. "Yeah. That _thing_ ," he couldn't help his hiss, "didn't want to give you up. Even tried to bargain with me after I, well, you know." He thought back to the pearl.

The pearl that he'd plucked from the merman's throat.

The pearl that he'd snatched from the sand before Alexius carried him away.

The pearl that he'd buried under a pile of discarded bones in his cubbyhole.

"Have you told Diedrich about it?" the golden-haired male asked, referring to the object. Roderich picked up on the hint, and his shoulders shivered. He shook his head.

"I've tried to put it from my mind, honestly," the mauve male muttered almost in shame. "Do you think it would matter now?"

"I don't know. Maybe he would know what it was, or why it could speak."

"Definitely not a fish, at least."

"No." The leopard merman waved the tension from his tail, willing the memory of his companion dead beneath him away from his thoughts. "Maybe it's for the best that we don't say anything about that creature, or the pearl." _That I still have._

"It's horrific." Roderich wrinkled his nose. "And I can't believe it tried to _bargain_ with you, of all things."

Vash gestured to the male's chest, gaze caught by that grey mark yet again. "I didn't listen to it, obviously."

Silence passed between them, both males thinking on that retched night in different ways. One with bitterness and anxiety, the other with rigid unease.

And _hope._

Then a gentle purr rumbled through the water, and Vash was startled to see that the violet merman's cheeks were painted pink. Those gemstone irises had softened and there was even a slight curve to his lips.

"Thank you," Roderich murmured, his voice thoughtful.

The blond felt the lump in his throat reappear with new vigor, and his blush flamed up like before. He lowered his head onto his arms, trying to hide himself in the silk weave enveloping him.

"There's no need to thank me," he mumbled, spying the other through his hair.

"Nonsense," Roderich chirped, perking up. "I will thank you, and continue to thank you for the rest of my days!"

"You're joking." Vash blanched.

The violet male laughed aloud then, the sound strong and clear through the water.

"Don't doubt my persistence," he claimed through his amusement. "I owe you a life debt, after all."

Vash then remembered the hand within his hold, those slender fingers grasping his own, and he dragged their hands underneath his chest to yank the other closer to him. Effectively trapping half of the male's arm beneath him as that beautifully shaped face now floated a mere nose length away from his own.

He liked the surprise he saw in Roderich's eyes at that.

"You owe me nothing, Roderich."

Vash, however, disliked the way the male's face fell after he spoke.

 _Why does he look so upset?_ he thought, hackles rising. _I thought he'd be relieved to not have to worry about paying me back._

"All I'm saying is that it's not necessary!" The emerald merman tried to calm the other as quick as he could, before the lingering silence consumed them again. "Of course I wouldn't have just sat by and let that _thing_ kill you, or take you, or _whatever_ you! Just what do you take me for? A shark? A human?"

"No," Roderich admitted. His expression was solemn, but it held a glimmer of affection that wasn't there seconds ago. "You're not cruel."

"Then stop thinking that you need to repay me for something so obvious." Vash snorted and finally released the hand he held hostage. When had he become so comfortable with touching him in the first place? The blond ignored the way the silver limb stayed right where he left it, and instead gazed down into the coral amphitheatre.

Several colorful tails caught his eye, but none were any that he recognized. There were close to half a dozen merfolk idling about the granite steps in varying shades of golds, reds, and blues; and they were all unfamiliar.

Vash instinctively huddled away from the edge, clutching his sea silk closed in front of his collar. Roderich at last pulled back his hand and he followed the spotted male's attention into the coliseum.

"Have you told any of the others?" Vash asked. "About what happened?"

"Not really," the violet male said. He gave a shrug at the look the blond shot him. "Only the basics. _'We were attacked by a large creature in the night and Vash saved all our tails by morning.'_ You know, the bare minimum so they'd let it go."

Said merman huffed and gave the other another _look_ , but Roderich now seemed to be in better spirits. Or, at the very least, he wasn't looking at him like he wanted to cry.

 _Ridiculous._

"Emma hasn't said anything else either, or the pups. We didn't want to worry everyone even more, you know." Roderich nodded down into the open area before them as some new tails arrived. Vash did recognize them as his brothers, Gilbert and Abel.

"I think Killian has forgotten all about it by now," he continued. "He's carrying on like normal, babbling about and trying to sneak away to explore around with some of the older pups. Lilli has been playing with him a lot, too, though she's mostly stayed by me."

Vash glanced over to see the male's face torn between fondness and some kind of melancholy.

"She's had a few nightmares," Roderich said carefully, and quickly continued when he saw the emerald merman go pale. "She's okay, don't worry. I woke her up each time, and she fell back to sleep right afterwards with no problems. Though, I'm sure it's because of what happened."

"Where is she?" the blond asked immediately. He didn't like the thought of Lilli experiencing nightmares without him there, nor the reminder of his own that he'd had every night since.

Vash pushed himself up onto his palms, mind brushing over the bond shared between him and his sister. She was bright and flickering like sunbeams on seagrass in the back of his heart, and he could feel that she was just waking up in a vague direction before him.

"It's all right," Roderich answered, also pushing himself up. "Emma and Elizabeta are looking after her today, along with the other pups."

"Why is she not with you, though? You said you've been looking after her, right?"

Vash didn't mean to snap at the other merman, but he was overcome with the need to see his sister like a starvation had set into his bones. He was almost sorry for his abrasiveness as the brunet looked sheepishly at his silver scaled fingers.

"Ah, I'm sorry. If you'd like, I could bring you to her," Roderich offered quietly. The eel-tailed male wouldn't meet his gaze. "Or I could ask Emma to bring her over."

Vash bristled. Not at the offer, but at the other's tone. "What in all the seas are you apologizing for?"

The brunet dipped his head and slithered off of their mossy step, twirling around in the open waters. The sunlight from far above glittered across his skin and scales, alighting him with a radiant glow. Once he spun around, Roderich held out his webbed hand to him with a blinding smile that, combined with everything else, caught the emerald merman off guard.

"Nothing at all," Roderich sang, sending sparks through Vash's belly. "Come on, I'll take you to her."

Before he even had the mind to object, his grass green hand had already joined with that silvery one and he was lead from the tunnel hideaway.

Even though he had assistance, it still hurt to fully move his tail. The stiff muscles and the burn in his side kept their pace slow as they swam from one side of the Alcazar to the other. It was much harder to move once there was no ground within his grasp, no kelp he could grab to pull him forward. When Roderich wordlessly moved beneath him, Vash was simultaneously grateful and ashamed.

Though, as he rested himself along the _warm,_ firm back of the violet merman, the blond couldn't bring himself to care too much.

The pair made it halfway across the open clearing when a burst of bubbles erupted in front of them and Roderich swiftly dodged to the side.

"Abel!" the brunet hissed, more out of momentary fright than anger. "You nearly scared my scales off!"

The large merman in question hardly reacted to the scolding; his long, tawny and blue speckled tailfins splaying around him in a show of exertion. His short blond hair floated upwards like a rising kelp frond from his sudden stop.

Vash narrowed his eyes, and kept his claws from digging into the shoulders he balanced on.

The interloper opened his mouth to speak and said nothing. He looked between the two mermen, seeming like he wanted to say something, but then those hazel eyes landed on Vash's glare. He went still.

"Well?" Roderich spoke up again, more confused now at the other's appearance than before. "What is it?"

"I, uh—" Abel stuttered, blinking. It seemed he couldn't look away from Vash, and now the leopard-tailed male was even more on edge.

 _ **What does he** **want?**_ he reached out to Roderich despite himself. He could palpably feel the other's surprise.

 _ **How should I know?**_ A heartbeat later he received another reply. _**P**_ ** _lease don't fight him._**

Vash rolled his eyes and decided he better end the situation. Whether it turned into a fight was hardly any concern of his. _There's no way I'm going to be pushed around. By anyone._

He pressed his palms against Roderich's shoulders to raise himself up from behind the merman further and bared his teeth with a low growl.

"If there is a problem," Vash barked, his words more a threat than a concern, "then spit it out."

Abel, to his credit, looked taken aback— _sheepish._ The tawny male hunched his shoulders, his brown and blue webbed hands fiddling in front of his chest, and he looked much younger than he was.

"I wanted to apologize, and say thanks," he exclaimed, words cracking. He didn't meet either males' gaze. "For saving Emma, and Rod. And Killian, too."

The unnexpected words swiftly knocked the force from Vash's aggression and he deflated at once. He shared a glance with Roderich.

"Wait, what?"

"Abel," the violet merman said, voice thick with brotherly tenderness.

"I just, uh," Abel huffed and ran a finger down the length of the scar along his forearm. "Forget about this, yeah? That current has passed." With that, the male flicked his tail and sped off down into the rings of granite.

Roderich lifted a hand up to brush against the verdigris arms resting around his neck and watched his brother disappear through one of the carved tunnels beneath them. "That wasn't what I was expecting."

"You're telling me." Vash allowed his muscles to uncoil and he laid atop the iridescent male like before, letting out a breath in relief.

The violaceous merman pet along his wrist and began to move them on. "I'm glad you two didn't get into a spat," he added. "Not that I would have let it happen, of course."

"It's not like I want to fight your family," Vash muttered, his words muffled as he spoke against the other's shoulder.

"That's reassuring," Roderich chuckled, and he slowly twirled them around in a spin as he paddled forward.

The blond held him tighter, letting himself roll along with the lackadaisical male through the calm waters. They passed through a graven archway and entered into a forest of vibrant coral. Tall crimson branches arched above and around them, blooms of yellows and greens and pinks grew between them, and fish of every hue darted to and fro. Vash felt the urge to chase them, yet he was complacent right where he was.

 _Being carried again._

Deep down, he let himself admit that it was _comforting_ to be looked after. His bones and scars knew just how long he's had to take care of himself, and his sister. The past several cycles felt like an age.

Roderich began humming to himself, and Vash nibbled on his lip as he rest his chin on the other's shoulder. The mellow sound reverberated through the merman's chest and into his own, and he closed his eyes. He couldn't be bothered to move at all, nor did he want to.

There was a particular scent that filled his palette the closer he sank on top of his companion. A smell that stood out from the rest of the environment. Something refreshing and thick, something that weighed upon him like a second silk weave.

A faint, very faint shiver ran through the male beneath him as Vash pressed his nose behind a silver tipped ear.

He breathed in that scent. It was unlike anything else he's ever smelled before. One breath was like tasting fresh shoots of sea grass, the next a savory tongue swipe along an oyster shell. He couldn't pinpoint exactly the feeling it gave him. Only the pool in his lower back grew from the heat dripping down his spine with every breath he took, rippling throughout his waist and gills.

The scent was enough to calm his heart into a steady rhythm, and he felt a neighboring heartbeat match his own.

 _ **Vash.**_

The emerald spotted merman opened his eyes, pulling away from the dark hair tickling his eyelids. He leaned upwards to look around, noticing that the violet male had stopped swimming.

"What is it?" he asked, wondering why his throat sounded thick. The blond scanned around himself to gather his bearings.

The brunet rumbled underneath his grasp, tail swishing against his own.

Roderich perched on top of a smooth, wave-worn rock—more like a pillar, in a forest of similar rocks. There were a handful of long kelp strands clinging to the slopes of the stone, partially obscuring the pair at the top. A bright ray of sunshine filtered through the water to directly touch the top of their particular pillar, warming them considerably. Vash looked over the edge to see an open meadow of seagrass below them, and a plethora of sparkling tails swam around the clusters of small boulders and coral.

It was a large group of pups. Pups of varying sizes and tail lengths, colors and ages. All of them were lounging in pairs or groups, chattering, and rushing around each other in a game of hunters and prey.

Vash easily picked out his sister from the bunch—the only green shade in the cluster—and a stagnant weight melted from his chest. Lilli was dashing from one spot of sand to the next, seafoam and leopard spotted fins fluttering cheerfully as she did so. His muscles, that had automatically tensed up at seeing her surrounded by so many strangers, relaxed.

 _She looks happy._

The golden-haired merman recognized the little periwinkle merboy hanging off her arm, white hair waving about with his tail as he hurried to keep up with her sprinting from here to there. He also spied the slate grey and brown siblings from Roderich's pod, though he didn't know their names. There were three older pups congregating around the pair with varying shades of blue tails, and another group of three mermaids with cream-colored pale tails and hair were playing the hunting game in the nearby coral forest. Off to the far side of the clearing, he saw Emma laying on a flat slab with the other Sapphire mermaid, Elizabeta. The two of them were overseeing the cluster of younglings and talking.

Vash looked back to his sister, and then to Roderich. Amethyst eyes were already watching him.

"When did we get here?" the leopard merman asked after clearing his throat of the remaining roughness there.

"An hour ago," Roderich told him.

"What!" Vash slid off of the other's back and laid beside him on the rock. His mind was whirling like a wayward current. "What do you mean _an hour?!"_

The silver scaling along the male's shoulders and spine shimmered as he shrugged. Vash noticed that Roderich's whole demeanor was peaceful, a far cry from his earlier gloom.

"I think you fell asleep," the brunet suggested. The merman reached out to straighten out the weave over the emerald male's back, running a hand over the silk and causing the blond's pulse to quicken. Bright irises lifted to meet his own. "I couldn't bring myself to wake you."

"I did not fall asleep," Vash scoffed, unable to help his eyeroll. He remembered every tail stroke beneath him, every _breath_ he took. "You're imagining things."

"You did, I swear it. I suppose you must have been rather comfortable," Roderich purred, eyes crinkling in amusement.

Vash wanted to sink off the side of the pillar and away from the insufferable merman. The red in his face was just the sunlight reflecting on him, _that was all._

"Well, then." The blond snorted and waved a hand towards the pile of pups below them. "Thank you for bringing me this far, at least."

"It was my pleasure. I would have dozed off with you, as well," Roderich went on, "but I figured you wouldn't have appreciated that as much."

The emerald male stared at him. Stared at the undercurrent of self reproach the other had laced through his words. He frowned.

Sunlit golden locks swayed through the water as Vash leaned over and rubbed his cheek against the violet male's own, painting the pale skin there a pretty pink.

 _ **Rest, then.**_

Vash pushed off the rock and swam towards his sister.

 **...xXx...**

 **These fish dorks, I swear.**

 **Also, wow, I can't believe this story is two years old already. Thank you all for sticking with it!**


	17. I Guess I Don't Know What I'm Thinking

**Roderich thinks back on previous heartbreak and makes a promise to Vash.**

 **...xXx...**

"Look, look! I have new spots!"

Lilli chittered excitedly as she swam in little circles, showing off her little seafoam tail to her brother as her own sea silk weave flew around her shoulders. The larger male managed to get her to sit still long enough for him to see exactly where she was showing him.

"See, big brother? Right there, and there!"

"I see them."

Roderich smiled to himself. Having deigned that he didn't really want to relax without the male nearby, he'd followed his emerald companion down into the clearing. The purple merman swam to the grey slab of stone that his sisters were on and laid down between them. His heart was still floating above the seas at having Vash actually fall asleep on him earlier—it was nice to feel so trusted, and he was almost sad that the other had woken up so soon.

Seeing the leopard-tailed merman look _so damn happy_ as he visited with his little sister, though, was more than enough to make up for the momentary loss.

A fluttering of fins brushed against his left hip and Roderich pried his gaze away to turn to Elizabeta. The mermaid was smirking at him.

"My dear," Elizabeta cooed, her fins caressing his side. "You look positively moony."

"I told you his head's been in the sky lately," Emma piped up from his right, and he saw her wearing a similar grin.

"I don't know what you mean." Roderich sniffed, lifting his chin.

"It's easy to see why," Emma added, and she nudged his shoulder with hers. "He's so good with Lilli."

"Very handsome, too," Elizabeta trilled.

"Those spots _are_ pretty fetching."

"And he's the strong, silent type, I see."

"Awful brave, to boot."

"Be quiet!" Roderich choked out, not wanting Vash to overhear them.

"Don't you think so, though?" Emma urged, her words dripping with feigned unawareness. "He did save us."

"I'm grateful," Elizabeta said. Her wide fuchsia fins splayed out across his back, covering him like a blanket, and she reached out an aqua-colored hand to pat his cheek. "I don't know what I would have done if either of you . . . _well."_

"Eliza," the eel-tailed merman said. Emma murmured in a similar sentiment.

"Everything turned out in the end." The pink and turquoise mermaid just smiled at them both with genuine relief before returning her gaze to keep an eye on the rambunctious pups around them. "Not only are all of you safe and sound, but Roddy found himself a cutie."

"Hey, now listen here . . ."

"I don't know, Liz. Rod hasn't made much of a move yet." Emma ran a hand through her yellow locks and sighed dramatically. "If he doesn't want him, I'll take him."

 _"You—!"_ Roderich was unable to help the heat that flooded his cheeks and he shrank back, regretting his choice to lay between the two mermaids.

All that his embarrassment got him was being assaulted from tickling fins and giggles from both sides.

Roderich pointedly watched the older pups play a game of hunters as the mermaids settled themselves. He was proud of Bazil for having yet to be caught as the designated prey.

"Don't sulk," Elizabeta chided delightfully. "And don't ignore us!"

Her long auburn hair draped over his shoulder as she leaned her head against him. He felt Emma do the same on his other shoulder, and the merman let the two entirely surround him with their taunting.

"I'm not ignoring you," Roderich insisted. "I'm just not going to respond to this nonsense."

Emma gasped in mock offense and fell into a laughing fit beside him. Elizabeta covered her mouth to keep her own snickering to a soft minimum.

Roderich cleared his throat and snuck a glance towards Vash. The blond male was looking over a pile of colorful shells that Lilli was holding out to him in her little hands. The pup watched with unwavering intensity as her brother sorted the shells into different piles.

 _ **What are you doing?**_ He couldn't help himself as he mentally reached out towards the leopard-tailed merman. To his credit, the blond hardly startled at all.

 _ **Picking out my favorites, I guess,**_ Vash reluctantly replied. The brunet could still sense his hesitation at using their bond. _**She insisted.**_

 _ **Oh.**_

 _ **Why?**_

 _ **Nothing. Only curious.**_

After a few seconds he felt the equivalent of a sigh in the back of his mind.

Roderich was ready to speak again when a bout of squealing sounded off on the opposite side of the clearing. All of the adults stiffened, ready to spring up in an instant. It was revealed to only be a bit of a scuffle between the three little cream-colored pups and Killian, the mermaids squabbling with the merboy over a shiny rock that he was clinging to desperately, and the older merfolk relaxed.

"I better go break that up," Emma offered. She pushed up and left them.

Elizabeta also slid off of the grey rock, sweeping her long hair over her shoulder as she floated in front of the iridescent merman. "Why don't you introduce us, hmm?"

"What?"

"Come on, introduce me to your handsome hero." The mermaid threaded her arm through his and pulled him along beside her.

Roderich found he couldn't protest, even though he really, _really_ wanted to.

 **...xXx...**

He and the mermaid got along remarkably well for cycles now. When his father had first brought Elizabeta back to their pod after a long trip away, they'd instantly connected. Roderich was eager to see a new face and absolutely overwhelmed her with questions upon questions about the waters away from the caves. The only other place he'd been to had been the Great Alcazar when he was much younger, so he didn't have anything else to compare it to.

The older mermaid was a lone wanderer, or so she said. She used to be apart of a pod, long ago, _"_ _Days upon days travel from here, in an area of black valleys and freshwater shallows with islands."_ Elizabeta didn't talk much about her old pod, and Roderich figured it was because they hadn't parted on good terms. He didn't pry, and she told him all about the bleak-but-beautiful seascape she came from.

As far as it went how she had encountered Diedrich at all, she had been in the process of travelling the world, fighting and hunting as she pleased, and had an unfortunate run in with a fishing vessel. She'd managed to break the harpoons that had speared through her tail, a feat that had awed Roderich when she'd first told him, and Diedrich had just so happened to be swimming by in time to help her flee from the boat. Their pod had been more than welcoming—a skilled warrior and hunter was always a great addition to any pod—and soon Elizabeta was one of the family.

Only she and Gilbert butted heads on a daily basis. The male had immediately discovered the need to pester Elizabeta about every little tale she told to the others, and constantly challenged her. The mermaid hadn't even fully healed by the first time they scrapped, and she'd emerged the victor. This didn't dull Gilbert's interest in provoking her, or setting competitions while hunting, and Elizabeta rose to each and every one of them. The two formed a very formidable pair for any prey, predator, or human that dared cross their waters.

All in all it was in good fun, Elizabeta fit right in, and fell even more so into Roderich's heart.

Ever since her early days within the pod, they had been nearly inseparable. Roderich had been easily enamored by her beauty and her strength, and for _some_ reason the mermaid fancied him back. They began an eager courtship that lasted for many moons.

That is, until she sang for him.

The memory of that night was forever preserved in the back of his mind; a clear, jagged crystal that bled him every time he thought of it.

The two had snuck away from the rest of the pod late one evening into one of the deeper caverns in the maze of caves and tunnels that made up their home. They both wanted to see if there was more to what they were feeling.

Roderich often sang to himself and for his younger siblings. He was carefree about the sound and did it simply for the pleasure of doing so. He was used to the looks of awe and serenity his singing would bring his family—but the first time Elizabeta had heard him she had cried that his was the most beautiful voice she'd ever heard and all but kissed him on the spot.

He was overcome with the joy that his fated one would have ventured across the far oceans to find him. He'd heard tales of soulmates being inexplicably drawn together, no matter the distance. All he needed to hear was her own song, and their pairing would be set.

Elizabeta was shy about her own voice, only humming occasionally while doing mundane tasks, and that was why they had retreated to the deep recesses of the sapphire caves while everyone else slept. Roderich had thought his heart would strangle him as he waited for the mermaid to gather the courage and sing.

Then she opened her mouth and crooned a foreign shanty, the tune haunting and words echoing through the rock like a chorus of spirits had joined her.

Roderich's hope was crushed like a brittle bone.

He felt nothing.

The mermaid's singing was pleasant, if shaky at first from her nerves, and the shanty itself was alluring. But he felt nothing at the sound. Only heartbreak.

The stories his father told him all ran through his mind as her song went on. How when he heard the voice of his soulmate, his one, his _asha,_ it would be unlike anything else he'd ever experienced. He would feel such a pull towards the sound, gripped by the power of the sirens of old, that he wouldn't be able to do anything else but succumb to the sound.

To twine one's song with the song of another, through passion and the tying of souls—that's the only way for merfolk to truly bond.

It was at the crescendo of her melody that Elizabeta noticed his fallen expression. The sound of the silence that gaped between them after she ended her song was deafening. Neither could speak, but both of them knew the truth.

They weren't meant to be.

The absurdity of the timing of Gilbert frantically swimming around the corner, out of breath, frazzled out of sleep, and shouting, _"_ _Where did that song go?!"_ wasn't lost on either of them.

 **...xXx...**

"Vash, this is Elizabeta," Roderich said as they came to a stop beside the leopard spotted siblings. "She wanted to come say hello."

Vash had watched them approach the last few tail lengths with increasing suspicion, but his narrowed expression eased as the brunet spoke. Roderich, however, was trying to keep his fins from noticeably trembling.

"Hi, there!" Elizabeta caroled cheerfully. "I'm sorry that I didn't come introduce myself sooner."

Vash recoiled at her enthusiasm. "Hi."

"You can call me Eliza, if you want, or Liz." The auburn-haired mermaid peeled away from Roderich to get a closer look at the other male, her round fins dancing around her like pastel pink and blue drapes of cloth. "We're already fast friends by now after what you've done for Rod and Ki, so it's no problem."

Vash looked like he didn't know how to react to the broadly smiling mermaid, and the violet male felt a pang of sympathy. Elizabeta's presence was a vibrant one, at least to Roderich, and he was forced to recall how the other male had grown up secluded from most everyone. The hazel-haired merman didn't want to scare him, and he would have been happy to lead the mermaid away if it weren't for the fact that he couldn't deny her anything. Even after what had happened between them. He still very much cared for her and her wellbeing, and wished to stay close friends.

And for some reason, he was still _so nervous_ for this meeting to go well. _Why am I acting like a shy youngling?_

The emerald and white speckled merman's entire body language had been closed off towards everyone but Lilli the entire time that he'd been there, and it didn't seem like that was letting up any time soon.

Though, Vash did spook as his own sister hopped up from the sand and darted around Elizabeta excitedly.

"Lizzie!" Lilli chirped, barely able to contain her excitement. "Can you help me find more shells?" The little blond cupped her hand around her mouth to whisper not-so-quietly, "Brother is very picky."

Elizabeta burst into laughter as Vash turned bright pink. "H-Hey!" Roderich coughed to hide his amusement.

"Maybe later, Lilli," Elizabeta purled, fixing the bone clasp holding the pup's silk shawl around her shoulders. The mermaid winked. "I know some secret spots where we can search for some."

"I think your brother just wants to spend time with you," Roderich warbled at the youngling, covering his mirthful smile with one hand. The dark-haired male leaned towards her conspiratorially, dropping his voice low to a murmur. "He's been looking forward to it all day."

Lilli smacked her own cheeks as she gasped. Roderich could feel a scolding looming in the back of his mind as Vash puffed up in front of him, but the emerald male didn't get the chance to say or do anything as he was tackled by a little green blur.

The youngling was giggling and giving Vash big kisses all over his face. "I'm here, Vashy!" Lilli peeped, rubbing their noses together. "You're here, too!"

"I can see that!" Vash snorted. A slow smirk crossed his face and a mischievous glint twinkled in his eyes. "But, it seems that you've swam into . . . _a trap!"_

The male struck—tickling his sister's sides until she was laughing and squealing for breath. Lilli cried out a helpless, _"No! You're gonna tickle my new spots off!"_ and Vash let up in his attack long enough for her to wiggle away. The merman waited a beat and took off after her.

Roderich wanted to join them.

"Careful, lover boy," Elizabeta crooned. She barely managed to retrieve his attention away from the verdant siblings. Her gaze held an unbearable amount of patience. "You don't want him to catch you with your jaw on the seafloor, do you?"

"As long as he catches me," Roderich quipped. He rolled over slowly, sighing. Once he was upright again he asked, "Am I _really_ so obvious?"

"You're practically shining!" Elizabeta confirmed.

Violet eyes wandered towards the spotted and speckled pair a few tail lengths away from them in the coral. Lilli was poking from behind the colorful branches and sticking her tongue out at Vash who was looking around and pretending not to see her.

Roderich bit his lip and fanned his fins, twirling in the sun as he observed them. The midday beams of light illuminated the siblings with a lustrous glimmer of golds and greens.

 _Shining._

 **...xXx...**

It was close to sundown by the time the adults started wrangling the younglings in for the night.

Emma offered to escort the triplets back to where the Alcazar pod nested in the largest coral tower, and Abel showed up soon after to help. Elizabeta herself already had a sleeping Killian in her arms and she was making sure that Bazil and Evicka had a firm hold on the cloth tied around her waist as she started swimming them back to the tower designated for the Sapphire Cavern pod. With a wave and a smile, they disappeared around a column.

Darkness started to seep around the edges of all the architecture and the peaceful landscape as the waters above them burned a bright red. Wisp lanterns began to gleam around them, floating to and fro like lazy jellyfish or clinging to stone walls. Tendrils of light waving through the water beneath the little spectral orbs like independent curtains of ribbon. The wisps glowed in an array of pastel yellows, ghostly greens, and serene blues. There were a few here and there with odder colors that hovered off in the distance.

Roderich himself lingered beside the last two tails remaining in the clearing.

Lilli yawned widely, little incisors biting onto her lip as she blinked away her sleepiness. The pup carefully placed one by one the pile of shells she'd collected throughout the day into a small cloth satchel that Emma had given her. Vash laid on a patch of moss barely a tail length away, resting on a rock with his arms. That's where he'd been the last long while, having tired out fairly soon from roughhousing around with his sister. The rest of the time he'd done his best to make up for it by sending her off on scavenger hunts or asking for her to introduce the other pups to him. Whenever she left him to go and play with the others, he would watch her intensely from the sidelines, and Roderich made sure to keep him company.

Despite wanting a day to spend alone with the leopard-tailed male, he was quite happy after everything.

Vash eyed a yellow lantern that floated down into the clearing, making its way languidly over the grass, his gaze narrowing suspiciously at the strange creature. The violet merman couldn't help his chuckle as he paddled up to the wisp and gently shooed it away to the side.

"Have you never seen wisps before?" Roderich asked, though he felt it was a silly question.

The poor lantern bumped into a coral tree, helplessly spinning off into the sand. Vash snorted as he watched the wisp bounce into a cluster of kelp next. "No. These things wouldn't last a day floating around my reef."

"I would think not." Roderich pitied the goofy creature and deigned to help untangle it from the kelp strands as they conversed. "I'm afraid too many fishermen would like to snatch them up for their own. _There,_ there you go, you laughable little thing, you. Go on, now." He gave the wraithy creature a small pat upwards away from any obstacles.

"Or they'd get stuck in between some shark's teeth. You seem familiar with them, though," Vash said, stretching out his arms. After a pause, he asked, "What exactly are they?"

"Emma says they're friendly spirits," Lilli quietly answered, trying to tie close her bag. She frowned and then swam over to her brother, holding it out to him to tie instead.

Vash did as he was asked. "That's what she says, huh."

"It's something like that," Roderich added, looking between the two as he felt a fond warmth fall upon his heart. "We keep them in the caverns to help the crystals light up the deeper tunnels. My father told us that they are left over souls from some of the ancient sites. When he and Alexius were settling closer to the surface," he gestured around them at the Alcazar as a whole, "he said that the wisps followed them."

"Maybe they got tired of being stuck in dark, abandoned places," Vash suggested. "They're not exactly a very _lively_ bunch."

"Perhaps they were lonely," Roderich mused. He watched a blue and green pair a few dozen tail lengths off twirl lazily around each other.

After a moment of quiet he thought he heard the soft sound of snickering and drew his gaze away to the siblings. Lilli was holding her cheeks as she giggled and Vash hid his mouth behind his hand, staring at him with quite the intensity.

The eel-tailed merman perked up. "What is it?"

Lilli hid her face into her brother's shoulder as her laughter got louder. Vash pointed at him with his dark green hand and Roderich saw the male bite back a smile.

 _Do I have something on my face?_ The brunet reached upwards and felt nothing, but when he looked at his palm he saw a soft yellow glow reflect off his silver scales. Looking up, he felt a tug on his hair as the little wisp drifted in front of his face and landed right on his nose.

"Pfft! Shoo! _Shoo,_ you—"

Roderich whirled and waved about, trying to get the lantern to stop clinging to him as kindly as he could and he heard the two in front of him finally snicker together at his expense. Despite his obvious struggle, the wisp wouldn't let go of his right ear no matter how persuasive he was, and the lavender male didn't have the heart to rip it away.

"Fine!" he huffed with a side half-glare at the creature. "It's getting dark, anyway. I suppose we could use the light." _Not like I can't see in the dark already or anything._ The wisp swayed around, its light beaming brighter, and he could swear the lantern looked _smug._

"It's lonely," Lilli chirped, swimming over to him. The blonde youngling rubbed one of her eyes as she smiled at him. "Like you said, Roddy."

"And it's late." Vash pushed himself off of the small rock, flicking his tail a few times experimentally. "We should head back."

The sunlight was nearly all gone by now; the red above darkening to a greyish purple. Roderich didn't miss the grimace that crossed the emerald male's face before his expression composed itself.

"Quite right. Come here, darling." Roderich held open his arms as Lilli automatically leaned into him, hooking her jade-colored arms around his neck. He ignored the wisp stuck to him as he swam forward towards the other male. "Let's be off then, shall we?"

Vash stared at him with an unreadable expression. A moment passed as they looked at each other; one patiently waiting for the other to make a decision.

Lilli turned around in his arms to look at her brother. "Vashy?"

"I can swim on my own," he said, pushing up further and kicking his tail off in the direction of the cubbyhole. "You're already carrying Lilli, so it's fine."

"It certainly is not." Roderich easily sped up and kept pace underneath the injured merman. He pressed up against him purposefully. "Come now, don't be stubborn. As you've said, it's late."

"I'm fine."

 _"Vash."_

"Brother . . ."

"Okay!" the emerald male snapped, giving in to the two of them. He felt the heated weight of the male lay atop him, fingers holding his shoulders.

Roderich was sure that Lilli had pulled a pout over his shoulder, and he patted her tail in thanks. The pup just snuggled into his arms more comfortably and settled in, and he saw Vash reach forward to pet down her hair.

The swim to the cubby was unhurried, usual for his nature. Lilli was a bundle of warmth in his arms and Vash's tail moved slowly with his own. A heavy chill spread throughout the water as soon as the sun had gone away, the evening covering of a cold blanket for the deep sea Alcazar. He felt the two siblings unconsciously hold him closer. Aside from the lanterns, their irises were starting to glow themselves as they always did during the night. The water outside the magical protective dome melted completely to black and the safe haven stayed lit with the work of the comforting abundance of wisps. The yellow one that saw fit to fasten itself to his ear created a halo of bright light around the trio, and it probably felt itself a helpful little lantern. Roderich let it be.

They reached the cubby made of ruddy stone, like a half hewn sphere sunken into the sand and surrounded by tall kelp. The whole area was dark until they approached, and the wisp was successful in its illumination as they came to a stop, giving the waters around them a golden glow.

 ** _Thank you._**

Roderich stilled as Vash let go of him. His heart kicked up a fuss for the thousandth time that day as the words spoken inside his mind spread a shiver across his skin.

The speckled merman made to move in front of the brunet when he hissed so suddenly that both Roderich and Lilli jolted. The purple male went to turn his head and felt a sharp tug on his ear. He spied that the wisp had tangled itself through both his dark hair and the yellow strands from Vash.

Thanks to the length of the tendrils the pair of their faces were only a _wisp_ away. Roderich could feel his cheeks burn as he saw Vash's own darken, the merman's eyes were wide.

The two of them held a long look, the waters sparking from one another.

Then Lilli made an _aha!_ sound and reached between them, lifting the spectral lantern away from their hair and into her tiny jade palm.

 _Silly spirit, you!_

Surprisingly, the wisp willingly detached itself and curled its ribbons of light down the pup's arm. Roderich breathed in deep as Vash shifted slightly away from him. The ghostly creature then flitted up and up like a mote through the water, and came to rest beside the mouth of the den.

With the moment broken, Vash cleared his throat. "Come on, Lilli. Let's go get some sleep." He gestured towards his sister, and Roderich was pleased to see that he hadn't quite yet hid his blush away.

Roderich was going to protest, but caught himself. Right. It wasn't his place to argue whether or not to keep the siblings apart, even if Vash _was_ still injured. He couldn't bring himself to separate them for any longer than they already had been. _Who am I to do such a thing? They've only had each other until now._

As he was about to hand over the youngling, Lilli tightened her hold around his neck. Roderich raised his eyebrows at her. "Lilli?"

"You're still hurt," she mumbled meekly into her arm as she looked at Vash. "I don't want to make it worse."

The brunet gave her back a few pats. "I'm sure it'll be all right, as long as you'll be careful not to hit your brother while you sleep," he teased lightly. _Or we could both stay._ He didn't dare voice that desire inwardly or outwardly.

"Come on, Lil'," the male blond urged gently. "We can sleep in tomorrow, if you want."

The small mermaid just shook her head and held on. He watched as Vash's face fell.

And something inside him broke. It felt like his heart.

He couldn't keep quiet.

"Your brother has missed you very, very much, dear," Roderich said. He tilted his chin down to meet the gaze of the youngling, putting on a soft smile. "I'm sure he's been very lonely."

Lilli chewed for a moment on a lock of hair, looking as serious as a five and a half year old pup could look. Then she leaned back from his chest and stared up at her older brother, the little satchel of shells clasped tightly in one fist. "It's okay, Vashy. We can play tomorrow. I just want you to get better."

A swell of pride grew throughout him, and Roderich glanced between the two. His emerald companion was squeezing his own hands too tightly, and his face was conflicted. On one hand he looked ready to try and argue with his sister. On the other he looked absolutely touched by her bravery. Regardless of what he was thinking, Vash was speechless.

Roderich gave them awhile to come to an understanding, assured that they must be speaking privately. After a bit, Vash sighed and nodded his head, turning his attention to the iridescent male. The blond gave him a stern look.

"You'll look after her, then?" he asked.

"Of course I will," Roderich answered immediately.

 ** _Promise?_**

Shaking away his surprise, the dark-haired merman inclined his head. His whole being practically turned to mush under the other's pained gaze.

 ** _Wholeheartedly._**

Vash _tsked_ and rolled his eyes, at last seeming to relax. _**Why can't you just say yes like a normal person?**_

Roderich lifted an eyebrow. _**Because I mean it more than just a yes.**_

With a shake of his head and a sigh, the spotted male tugged his silk weave tighter around himself. "Keep her warm, yeah?"

"I will."

"And I'll see you tomorrow?" Vash asked his sister, clearly hopeful.

Lilli nodded vigorously, her golden hair swishing about. "I'll bring you more shells!"

"Can't wait."

"I'll bring her, not to worry." Roderich paused, then added on a whim, "How about we all go out for a swim tomorrow? We could explore this place," he noticed Lilli's eyes brighten further at that and glanced at Vash, "and you can start getting some strength back in your tail."

Looking between the brunet and his sister, the other male ducked his head and looked at the sand. "I think I'd like that."

"Then we'd better get some sleep! Tell your brother goodnight now so he can go get some rest."

Roderich leaned Lilli closer to her brother and the pup broke off from him to give the merman a quick, excited hug as she bubbled a goodnight. The hazel-haired male wished he could do the same, and nearly did simply from their proximity and the fact that once Lilli pulled back Vash made a start towards him, as if he were about to hug him, as well. The other stopped himself, brows furrowed, and then he could hardly look at him while muttering his own goodbye.

A heat shimmered across the back of his skull, and he felt an inexorable tugging. Quite unable to help himself—and frankly at last giving in to this rise of uncontrollable urges—Roderich leaned forward and brushed his cheek against Vash's, like the male had done to him earlier.

"Sleep well," he whispered, then pulled away. His voice refused to lift any louder for the tender moment, and an unsanctioned purr rumbled through his throat.

With that, Roderich swiftly sped away from the den with Lilli in tow waving over his shoulder. His heart was racing the entire way back across the Alcazar towards his pod's nesting quarters. The violet male was shocked that Lilli could fall asleep in his arms at all, what with the raucous drumming right beneath her ear.

He was about halfway home free when another soul called out to him.

 _ **You forgot to take the wisp with you.**_

Roderich smiled against the night.

 _ **May it keep you company for me until morning.**_

 **...xXx...**

 ** _Asha_ \- life, love, joy; a term I use for endearment and designation of soulmates**

 **Bit of a longer one, this one. Hope you all enjoyed!**


End file.
